Police and emergency services from the Rural Fire Service, Fire and Rescue NSW and Ambulance NSW attended the scene near Barney Allen’s Hill around 8.00pm.

Officers say a 36-year-old woman from Muswellbrook was driving a silver Toyota Yaris and a 58-year-old man from St Lawrence in Queensland was behind the wheel of a maroon Kia Sorrento 4WD.

The driver of the silver Yaris, and a female passenger in her 40s, were transported to Muswellbrook District Hospital suffering shock and minor injuries.

Muswellbrook Police say early investigations suggest one of the vehicles has clipped the side of the other causing the Yaris to veer right into a ditch on the other side of the highway.

Muswellbrook resident, Ian McIntyre, who was heading home from work, said he arrived on the accident scene moments after the crash.

“I saw two vehicles, one of them with a Queensland number plate with a caged box trailer hitched to the vehicle, and a silver sedan.

“The front wheel of the Kia 4WD was completely snapped off and the occupants were sitting in their vehicle and the other vehicle, a Toyota Yaris, was damaged on its right hand side and I couldn’t see its wing mirror,” he said.