Police have charged a driver who allegedly killed a 53-year-old man while performing a burnout.

The 22-year-old was arrested at Maitland Police Station on Sunday afternoon and charged with a number of offences including dangerous driving occasioning death.

Emergency services were called to a fire trail off Haul Road in Stockrington, north-west of Newcastle, just after midnight on Sunday.

A sign at a staircase with bush in the background reads Stockington State Conservation Area, no vehicles.

A 22-year-old man has been charged over the incident. (ABC Newcastle: Nakita Jager)

Police will allege the driver of a Ford Fairmont sedan left the scene after hitting three people as he was doing a burnout.

They say two women who were hit had left before emergency service crews arrived, while a 53-year-old man who was struck suffered critical head injuries.

He died a short time later.

Police allege the car was found burnt out on McFarlanes Road at Chisholm, near Maitland, about 2:40am.

The 22-year-old will appear before the Parramatta Local Court for a bail hearing today.