David Joyce, Robert Hayden and Michael Hoogvelt each played a role in an emergency situation along Gregadoo Road near Wagga where an Australia Day tragedy left the community shaken.

At about 12.40pm on January 26, 2016, two vehicles - a Holden Commodore sedan and a Ford SUV - collided head-on.

When ambulance crews arrived, one of the cars was well alight and the driver was deceased behind the wheel.

The passenger of the second vehicle, an 88-year-old man, also died at the scene.

The driver of the second car, a 72-year-old man, was trapped for a period and later retrieved.

He was taken by ambulance to Wagga Rural Referral Hospital with cuts, chest injuries and abdominal injuries.

Wagga man David Joyce has received a Commendation for Brave Conduct at this year's Bravery Awards after he was driving along Gregadoo Road and came upon the accident.

Mr Joyce stopped his vehicle and asked a bystander if anyone was in the burning sedan, and when he learned that the driver was still in the vehicle, he immediately ran to the driver's side and saw an unconscious man inside.

The passenger side of the vehicle was engulfed in flames, and another bystander handed him a small fire extinguisher as he attempted to put out the flames, without success.

As the flames intensified, Mr Joyce noticed the driver's door was slightly ajar and attempted to open it, but it was too hot to touch. After kicking at the door multiple times, it didn't move and the heat became too intense, forcing him to retreat.

"It was a traumatic day, and I don't think I should come across as a hero because I did what I had to," Mr Joyce said.

"But I am really grateful and humbled to be recognised, it was a tough day and everyone there did a great job."

Mr Joyce commended the efforts of emergency services on scene in 2016, and those still serving the community today.

"In the current climate, there's a lot of heroes and I don't know how first responders do this everyday," he said.

"It was awful. One accident can affect so many people, it's not just the injured, but the people who have to clean it up, passers by, everyone."

Robert Hayden is another Wagga man recognised who received a Bravery Medal after he and his wife were driving along Gregadoo Road and came upon the accident.

Stopping the car, Mr Hayden and his wife checked on the occupants of the damaged cars and noticed two people trapped in the SUV.

As fuel began to approach the SUV and flames encroached from the sedan, Mr Hayden quickly went to the vehicle and, with the help of a police officer, rocked the SUV onto its wheels to open the driver side door, allowing emergency services to remove the driver and passenger.

The police officer who helped Mr Hayden was Wagga man Senior Constable Michael Hoogvelt, who will also receive a Bravery Medal for his efforts.

Senior Constable Hoogvelt was performing traffic duties near Wagga when he was notified of the collision. He immediately made his way to the site and, on arrival, saw two people trapped in the SUV and another person unresponsive in the nearby sedan, which had caught fire, lending his support to get the vehicle on its wheels.

For this year's Australian Bravery Awards, 29 Australians have been recognised for their selflessness and efforts in difficult and dangerous situations.