Former Fremantle Dockers midfielder Colin Sylvia killed in car accident in Mildura

FORMER Melbourne and Fremantle star Colin Sylvia has died in a car accident near Mildura.

Demons legend Garry Lyon confirmed the death this morning describing it as a "tragedy".

"Colin Sylvia has tragically been killed in a car accident near Mildura, just out of Mildura last night," he told SEN.

The number 3 draft pick was killed in a collision at the intersection at Irymple at 2.20pm yesterday.

Police from the Major Collision Investigation Unit are investigating the accident.

The driver of a second vehicle was also injured and taken to hospital but was able to walk away from the crash.

The accident happened at the intersection of Nineteenth St and Benetook Avenue -- a notorious black spot that was the scene of another fatal crash in 2008.

Sylvia, 32, was an explosive midfielder who played 163 AFL games but had returned to his home town of Mildura after the end of his football career.

A neighbour who was first on the scene said the force of the crash left the two cars about 80m apart.

The man, who did not want to be identified, said it was "absolute carnage" and the man in the other car was lucky to survive.

"It sounded like a truck hitting a wall. I was expecting a truck through a house it was that loud," he said.

He said a green twin cab ute was upside down but the driver, believed to be 30 years old, escaped with minor injuries.

"He was just walking around, with blood on him. I said ’are you alright?’ he said ’yeah’."

"The tray of his ute was ripped off the back of it. There was mess everywhere. He was lucky to live I reckon."

The Silver Commodore station wagon, believed to have been driven by Sylvia, was further up the road and was "completely smashed in at the front", the neighbour said.

The man said there had been a fatal crash at the same intersection in 2008.

"I’ve seen it before too many times," he said.

"It’s just unfortunate someone else has died."

Sylvia, 32, had moved back to Mildura to be closer to family after the end of his AFL career.

Former Demon teammate Brent Moloney posted an emotional tribute to his "best mate" Syvia on Instagram.

As a teenager Sylvia moved from Merbein, near Mildura, to Bendigo to improve his chances of playing AFL, signing up with the Bendigo Pioneers.

Melbourne took him at pick 3 in the 2003 national draft, behind Brownlow Medallist Adam Cooney and Andrew Walker, who went to Carlton.

Sylvia played 157 AFL games for Melbourne, including being nominated for the Rising Star Award in 2005.

Melbourne’s website described him as "an explosive player who can win games off his own boot."

He was traded to Fremantle at the end of 2013 but he only added six senior games at the Dockers in 2014 and retired from the AFL in April 2015.

Former St Kilda player Sam Fisher who was drafted with Sylvia said he was "absolutely saddened" to hear of the news.