Chris Thompson was critically injured after the vehicle he was driving ran off the road and into a tree just outside Geurie.

Emergency services were called to the Mitchell Highway site about 2.15am.

Sergeant Rod Buhr from Orana Local Area Command said when crews arrived they found the driver trapped in the white Toyota Hilux tabletop.

It took an hour-and-a-half for emergency services to free him from the vehicle.

He was taken to Dubbo Hospital then airlifted to Westmead Hospital in Sydney.

Diversions were put in place for several hours as crews cleared the scene.

Mr Thompson, a husband and father-of-three, is originally from Wellington but lives in Dubbo.

Family members drove to Sydney yesterday to be by his side. A family spokesperson thanked members of the public for all of the support they had received from well-wishers since news of the crash broke.

Mr Thompson is an accomplished rugby league player who plays for the Wellington Cowboys.

A former Group 11 representative, Mr Thompson’s  achievements include lining up in the Tier 2 Country Championship-winning side in 2012. He was also part of the Macquarie side that won the 2008 Group 11 premiership and the CYMS side that won in 2011.