A man has died and others have been trapped in a 10-vehicle crash that brought one of Sydney’s busiest roads to a standstill this morning.

Emergency crews were first called to Canterbury Road in Lakemba about 11.40am after receiving reports of a two-vehicle crash.

Police said a sedan and an SUV had collided nose-to-tail, suspending the SUV in the air and trapping the occupants.

A man has died following a multi-vehicle crash in Sydney’s south-west. (Supplied)

“The sedan continued travelling a few meters before colliding head-on with a ute, trapping all occupants,” NSW Police said.

“As a result, a further seven vehicles collided.”

Police said 10 vehicles in total were involved in the mayhem.

The driver of the sedan – a man believed to be in his 80s – died at the scene and is yet to be formally identified.

A passenger of the sedan – a 78-year-old woman – was freed from the vehicle by Fire and Rescue NSW and was taken to St George Hospital, where she remained tonight in a critical condition.

A crime scene has been established. (Supplied)

Nine other drivers and their passengers were freed and assessed by paramedics for minor injuries. The drivers were taken to hospital for mandatory testing.

“People came from everywhere, people stopped their cars,” a witness told 9News.

“Just carnage, cars everywhere … people running around,” another said.

Police kept almost a kilometre of Canterbury Road shut as they investigated the pile-up.