Jason Govan and his wife Rhiannon were travelling along the Princes Hwy near Morwell just after 9am when a car travelling on the wrong side of the highway ploughed into them.

Mrs Govan was airlifted to The Alfred hospital in Melbourne in a serious condition.

The collision followed a police chase of the other vehicle that was abandoned just prior to the collision.

The driver of that vehicle also died at the scene.

The collision, the fifth death in two months linked to police chases, is expected to prompt new calls for tighter regulation or bans on police pursuits.

Police said a 42-year-old Morwell man was spotted speeding through the town centre about 9am, with the officers backing off when the pursuit was deemed too ''unsafe'' to continue.

The car reportedly sped down the Princes Freeway the wrong way for nearly a kilometre before it struck the Govans' vehicle.

The couple are beleived to be parents to an 18 month old boy who was not with them at the time of the collision.

Full report in tomorrow's Courier.