A man is dead and another is fighting for his life in the wake of a fiery road crash at West Dapto that has police urging young drivers to slow down.

Crash investigators say speed was undoubtedly a factor in a crash that claimed the life of 18-year-old Jayke Robinson in the early hours of Friday morning.

The former Corrimal High School student was a passenger in a car that was incinerated on Cleveland Road about 2.10am.

The eastbound car came unstuck on a bend about 1.2kms west of Dapto High School.

It went through a barbed wire fence and into a tree, exploding on impact.

The tragedy has shocked and devastated Mr Robinson's family and wide network of friends.

"If this isn't a reminder to drive safe I don't know what is," wrote one, Ricky Morris, in a post to social media.