Girl, 14, critically injured after three-car crash in southern NSW

A 14-YEAR-OLD girl is fighting to stay alive in hospital following a multi-vehicle crash in the NSW Riverina region.

The accident happened on the Sturt Highway on the western side of Carrathool around 9am on Wednesday.

Police said a B-Double truck collided with a Triton ute and a Mitsubishi Lander at a roadwork site.

The 34-year-old male driver of the Triton and his 14-year-old front seat passenger had to be cut out of the wreckage.

They were both airlifted to a Melbourne hospital where the teenage girl remains in a critical condition.

The 61-year-old man driving the B-Double truck escaped uninjured. He was taken to Hay Hospital for mandatory blood and urine testing.

The driver of the Lancer, a 68-year-old man, also escaped uninjured. He was breath tested at the scene and returned a negative result.

The Sturt Highway was closed for around eight hours following the crash as investigators examined the scene.

Investigations into the cause of the crash are continuing.