About 5.45pm (Thursday June 20), emergency services were called to the intersection of the New England Highway and Racecourse Lane at Whittingham, after reports a Ford Falcon and a Mitsubishi Triton utility had crashed

The Ford driver, a 75-year-old Singleton man, died at the scene.

The Mitsubishi driver, a 42-year-old man, was treated by paramedics and taken to John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition. He has also undergone mandatory testing.

Officers from Hunter Valley Police District are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash.

A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner.

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.

In March this year Whittingham residents attending a meeting and voiced their frustration as they have spent years and countless hours trying to convince authorities that the speed limit on the New England Highway needs to be reduced from 100km to 80km/hour.

Thirteen fatalities in 14 years on the highway between Belford and Whittingham has not resulted in any change in the speed limit and the residents, who have to enter and cross the highway on a daily basis, are asking how many more fatal or serious accidents will it take before the State Government and Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) listen to their concerns.

At the meeting in Whittingham Hall speaker after speaker voiced their anger at the total disregard shown towards their community when it came to improving safety along a seven kilometre stretch of the highway.

What has really stirred them into action once again is the latest so-called highway improvements undertaken last year at a cost of $3.3 million at the intersection of Racecourse Lane and the highway.

According to the residents the work has in fact made that section of road far more dangerous.