Victorian police believe a man may have deliberately driven his car into a petrol tanker, causing the fiery crash that killed him.
The 49-year-old Hastings man driving the Mercedes was killed, but the tanker driver escaped with only minor cuts and grazes when the car crossed onto the wrong side of the road in Tyabb on Thursday night.
Police confirmed on Friday that they are treating the crash as a deliberate self harm incident.
The tanker, carrying LPG and petrol, caught fire but the main tank was not breached.
About 20 tonnes of LPG is being decanted from the stricken tanker before police can go in to examine the scene.
CFA operations officer Don Wilkie said more than 100 firefighters worked to gain control of the fire just before midnight.
"The fact is this could have been much worse if there was an explosion," he said on Friday.
"The B-Double still has 20 tonne of LPG in the tank. The gas company will begin decanting shortly and this process is essentially moving the gas from one tanker to another."
The process is expected to take until later on Friday afternoon, with police then moving in to examine the scene.
The road will be closed for the rest of the day and potentially over the weekend, with residents warned a gas smell could linger.
The force of the crash sent debris 350 metres from the scene, but there was no breach of the tank's contents, so local residents were safe to remain in their homes.
Tyabb man Bruce Thompson said he heard a series of explosions from his home, about 500 metres from the accident site.
"I heard a massive explosion and then five or six smaller explosions after that," he told AAP on Thursday night.
"It really shook the house."
Ambulance Victoria treated the truck driver at the scene and he was taken to Frankston Hospital in a stable condition.
Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.
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