Two young drivers have been charged over separate horror crashes just days before Christmas — one which killed three people and the other which left seven people in hospital.

NSW Police charged a teenager late Saturday for allegedly driving 140km/h in a 70km/h zone and colliding into a 4WD carrying a young family — a 43-year-old woman and three children aged 10, 14 and 15.

Police had observed the speeding white sedan — with an 18-year-old driver and two 18-year-old passengers — and activated sirens just as it allegedly smashed into the blue SUV in Milperra in Sydney’s south-west around 2am Saturday.

The family was trapped inside the crumpled vehicle for about an hour before they were released and assessed by NSW Ambulance paramedics.

All four were taken to hospitals in Westmead with serious injuries, however they were not considered life-threatening.

The crumpled blue SUV was carrying a young family of mum and three kids. Photo: 7News

The three 18-year-olds in the sedan were also trapped for some time and had to be extricated.

The two male passengers were stable and taken to Liverpool Hospital for treatment.

The 18-year-old driver was also taken to Liverpool Hospital under police guard for mandatory testing.

He was later charged with 11 offences including three counts of aggravated dangerous driving occasion grievous bodily harm (GBH) at more than 45km/h over the limit, three counts of dangerous driving occasion GBH, and P1 driver driving at night with more than one passenger aged under 21.

He was refused bail to appear at Parramatta Local Court on Sunday.

Emergency responders extricate trapped occupants in Milperra. Photo: 7News

Triple fatality

Also on Saturday, a man in his twenties was charged with multiple offences after a fatal crash that killed three people earlier in the week.

Emergency services were called to the Kamilaroi Highway, south of Gunnedah, in NSW’s north, about 6.30am on Wednesday after reports of a smash.

Officers arrived to find a sedan had crashed into a tree.

Three back-seat passengers from the vehicle were declared dead at the scene, while a female front-seat passenger was flown to John Hunter Hospital in a serious condition.

The driver, a 24-year-old man, had arm and chest injuries and was taken to Tamworth Hospital for mandatory testing.

He was later arrested and taken to Tamworth Police Station, where he was charged with three counts of dangerous driving causing death and one count of negligent driving causing death.

The man was granted conditional bail and will appear before Tamworth Local Court in January 2024.

The charges come towards the end of a shocking year on Australian roads, with the highest fatalities in seven years.

Overnight Friday into Saturday, another seven people were killed across the country.

Deadly truck-car accident

In Victoria, a man and woman were killed in a collision at Chinkapook on Friday evening.

Officers believe there was a collision between a truck and a car near the intersection of Robinvale-Sea Lake Road and Chinkapook-Pier Millan Road about 5.30pm.

Emergency services arrived on scene and located a woman and man in the car but they could not be revived.

The driver of the truck was also injured and was taken to hospital for treatment.

The exact circumstances surrounding the crash are yet to be determined and police will prepare a report for the coroner.

-with AAP