Andrew Black, 50, was awarded the Royal Humane Society of Australasia's 2019 Clarke Silver Medal for the most outstanding act of bravery on Thursday evening in Melbourne.

Mr Black said while he had never expected any reward for his actions, he believed the bravery medal was a strong message for his daughters and the wider community about the value of helping others.

"You may think things go unnoticed but they don't, it makes a difference," he said.

He said the award was an honour and he hoped it was also a reminder to step up and assist when needed, and the impact it can have on other people both directly and indirectly affected by an incident like the crash.

In October 2015, Mr Black, his partner and infant daughter were driving on the Katamatite-Shepparton Road at Invergordon when a truck and Holden Commodore sedan collided in front of them.

Mr Black swerved down a two-metre embankment to avoid the crash and when he and his family were out of the car, he saw smoke coming from the sedan, which had also ended up in the ditch after hitting the truck.

Once his family was safe, Mr Black rushed towards the smoking vehicle and found a severely injured passenger outside the car.

With the assistance of the man, he was able to free a second passenger from the crushed vehicle by pulling him through the back window as the car caught fire.

He assisted both men to safety with the help of onlookers before the fire took hold of the car.

Sadly, the driver was unable to be freed and died at the scene.

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Mr Black, an art student at the time of the crash, described himself as an "ordinary guy" who believed in the importance of putting his hand up to help when needed.

He said at the time he did not think about how dangerous heading towards the burning car was, and he did what needed to be done.

"If no one had done anything, one of those guys or maybe both of them may not be around," he said,

"The fact that they are, that's reward enough, I didn't get hurt and they got out."

Mr Black, who had been a keen driver before the accident, said his experience was also a reminder to stay vigilant on the road.

He said the crash had made him even more cautious on the road, especially around trucks.

"When you're driving it's a responsibility, you're doing 100km/h in a potential weapon," he said.

"You shouldn't take it too lightly."