UPDATE 1am: AN ELDERLY man has died following a traffic crash in Proserpine yesterday morning.

Officers were called to the Bruce Highway about 2km south of Proserpine shortly after 6am after two 4WDs collided.

Both drivers were treated for non-life threatening injures.

As police were responding to the initial crash, a second crash occurred about 200m south of the first crash site.

The driver of one of the three vehicles involved in the second crash, an 80-year-old man, was airlifted to Townsville Hospital in a critical condition.

He was pronounced deceased later in the afternoon.

Forensic Crash Unit are continuing their investigations.

EARLIER:  AN ELDERLY man in a critical condition has been airlifted to Townsville following two car crashes 2km outside Proserpine on the Bruce Hwy just after 6am this morning.

The 24-year-old and a 19-year-old male drivers of the initial head-on collision between two four-wheel drives were taken by Queensland Ambulance Service to Proserpine Hospital with leg and pelvic injuries respectively.

Police confirmed the road was closed from 6am to 8.30am which caused a back-up of traffic and while attending to the first crash a second crash occurred 200m further south on the highway.

Police said initial inquiries indicate vehicles were stopped in a line of traffic because of the first crash when a Holden Rodeo has collided with the last stopped vehicle, a Mercedes van.   

The van has then collided with a Ford Ranger which was also stopped in the line of traffic.  

An 80-year-old man, the driver of the Holden Rodeo, was taken to Proserpine Hospital before being flown by the RACQ CQ Rescue helicopter to Townsville Hospital.  

The drivers of the other vehicles involved in the second crash received minor injuries and were treated at the scene.

Police said investigations are continuing into both of the crashes.