The white truck was traveling on the M80 Ring Road towards Altona, south-west of Melbourne, when a device used to protect conveyor belts fell out of the back at around 4pm on Thursday.

A 46-year-old Deer Park woman was driving the wrong way when the tramp crossed the highway and collided with her car.

The woman sitting alone in the vehicle died at the scene.

The truck driver allegedly failed to stop at the scene and was last seen heading towards Altoona.

The fatal crash caused significant delays and halted traffic for several hours on Thursday night.

Police believe the equipment removed from the truck was the Riv-Nail Driver system.

“The piece of metal is believed to be the Riv-Nail Drive system, a specialized tool specifically designed for the maintenance of conveyor belts in industries such as mining, manufacturing and food processing,” Victoria Police said in a statement. he said.

“The tool is part of a system for installing rivets to securely fasten metal clips to the end of conveyor belts.”

Detectives would like to speak to the driver of the truck and are asking anyone with dashcam footage to contact police.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has footage is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.