A man had died after the ute he was driving crashed into tree in Rolleston early this morning.

A police spokesman said emergency services were called to the single-vehicle collision at 4.57AM.

The man died at the scene.

A resident first on the scene told Chris Lynch Media he was getting ready for work when he heard a loud bang.

“At first I thought maybe someone was inside the property, but I grabbed a torch, went outside and down the driveway and could see a ute up against the tree.”

He immediately dialed 111, but it was clear to him that the occupant had already passed away.

“Four doors were pushed back into the tray of the ute. It was an absolute brutal mess. I tried to reach past the airbags to see if anyone else was inside, but it was too hard to tell.”

Police told the resident it would take some time to formally identity the man.

The resident said the Serious Crash Unit was at the scene and the road was closed between Robinsons Road and Cross Road.

A tow truck was also at the scene.