AN elderly Tenterfield man who died in a highway collision north of Warwick last week has been identified as 73-year-old Edward "Ted" Maguire.

Mr Maguire was approaching Warwick several kilometres south of the Eight Mile intersection last Wednesday afternoon when his Suzuki Swift hatchback veered across the highway and into the path of an approaching van just after 2pm.

It is believed Mr Maguire may have suffered a medical condition such as a stroke while driving, which caused him to momentarily lose control of his vehicle.

An autopsy was due to be carried out yesterday in order to try and determine if this was the case, and if Mr Maguire was conscious at the time of the collision itself.

A wake for Mr Maguire will be held tomorrow at the Tenterfield Bowls Club at 1pm and a private family funeral is planned for next week.

He was pronounced deceased at the accident scene last week, while the two occupants of the van involved in the crash fortunately escaped major injury but were transported by ambulance to Warwick Hospital for treatment and observation.

Mr Maguire was a long-term and well-known Tenterfield resident, having been involved in local community groups such as Rotary and the Oracles of the Bush annual poetry and cultural festival.

He is understood to have stayed with relatives near Warwick on the night before the accident and was travelling home when the collision took place.

The Cunningham Highway was closed in both directions for more than two hours last Wednesday while the accident site near Kelly's Hill was cleared and police carried out their investigations.