A car carrying four people who were killed in a fiery crash in southern NSW had been stopped for a routine traffic check hours earlier, it's been reported.
The three men and a woman, believed to be aged between 17 and 24, were killed when their sedan slammed into a tree and caught fire at Cootamundra about 1.15am (AEST) on Saturday.
They may not be formally identified for a week because of the extent of fire damage to the wreckage, police say.
Fairfax Media reports the vehicle was stopped by police on Friday night for a routine check.
Its passengers were described as "quite lucid and quite happy".
The deceased are believed to be from the local area, however it will take police some time to conduct formal identity checks.
Cootamundra Superintendent Peter Wanczura told Fairfax the crash was the worst he had seen in 34 years in the police force and several attending officers would undergo counselling.
The bodies of the four victims remain inside the vehicle as a crime scene remains in place.
