A university student who was taking a joy ride in a shopping trolley has died after the cart reached speeds of up to 80km/h and collided with an oncoming car.

Robin Wahlgren, 28, and his friend, also 28, were involved in a fatal collision with a car in Randwick, in Sydney's east, about 12.20am on Tuesday after the pair rode a shopping trolley down a steep stretch of Coogee Bay Road.

Mr Wahlgren, a student at the University of New South Wales, was sitting inside the trolley while his friend, who had only arrived in Australia a week earlier, was perched on the back.

Police said the two Swedish nationals are believed to have reached 'dangerous' speeds of up to 80km/h on the ill-fated joy ride before crashing into an oncoming car,The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

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Robin Wahlgren, 28, was inside the trolley when it collided with an oncoming car at speeds of up to 80km/h

A man who was riding in a metal shopping trolley has died after he was hit by a car in Sydney's east

The sheer force of the collision threw the pair from the trolley and onto the bitumen at the intersection of Coogee Bay Road and Judge Street.

Mr Wahlgren, a Swedish national who moved to Australia around two years ago, landed on the kerb and suffered significant head injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The second man landed in the middle of the road and was taken to St Vincent's Hospital, in Sydney's inner-city, with significant injuries but has since stabilised. He was expected to undergo surgery on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old survivor was assisted by the driver of the car and a passing cyclist until paramedics arrived on the scene.

Mr Wahlgren, a Swedish national who moved to Australia around two years ago, landed on the kerb and suffered significant head injuries

Chief Inspector Chris Stiles told the Herald the men were thought to have been travelling down the wrong side of the road before they hit an oncoming car.

'The estimate is that the men were travelling about 80km/h in the trolley, so they had certainly gathered some speed,' he said.

The second man was taken to St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney's inner-city, with critical injuries but is now in a serious but stable condition.

He was assisted by the driver of the car and a passing cyclist until paramedics arrived on the scene.

No one else was injured during the collision, but the South Coogee driver, 45, had to undergo mandatory blood alcohol and urine testing. But he returned a negative test.

He and his friend were thrown from the trolley and onto the bitumen at the intersection of Coogee Bay Road and Judge Street

The 28-year-old and his friend, also 28, were struck by a car in Randwick, in Sydney's east, about 12.20am on Tuesday

Superintendent Gavin Dengate told reporters police could press charges against the man who was steering the trolley

Superintendent Gavin Dengate said police could press charges against the man who was steering the trolley, however it was too soon to 'speculate'.

He said the deceased was 'catapulted out' metres from the trolley and landed on the curb, while the injured man landed in the middle of the road.

Supt Dengate confirmed the car that collided with the two men was travelling within the speed limit of 60km/h.

'Unfortunately we all know what shopping trolleys are like, they are very difficult to control. Very, very tragic,' he told reporters later on Tuesday.

Supt Dengate praised the actions of the driver and a passing cyclist who stopped to offer assistance before emergency crews arrived.

He said police had begun making contact with distraught family and friends of the pair.

Investigators would be looking into whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the men's fatal decision to climb aboard the shopping trolley.

They were thrown from the trolley and onto the road at the intersection of Coogee Bay Road and Judge Street

No one else was injured during the collision, but the driver of the car had to undergo mandatory blood alcohol testing

Officers have not yet spoken to the injured man, but police are leaving the door open to pressing charges against him.

'We really don't know what evidence is available at this stage so it's certainly too early to tell,' Supt Dengate said.

One Randwick resident who stopped to inspect the scene said "it could have happened to anyone".

'We've all done stupid stuff when we're young and there's shopping trolleys ditched along this road all the time,' he said.

Officers have not yet spoken to the injured man, but police are leaving the door open to pressing charges against him

One of the men spent the previous two years living and studying in Australia and his friend had only been here for a week on a visit

'It's just a tragic shame that it's ended like this for these young blokes.'

One of the men spent the previous two years living and studying in Australia and his friend had only been here for a week on a visit, according to Chief Inspector Stiles.

'It sounds like they might have had a bit of fun together, resulting in this terrible incident,' he said earlier on Tuesday.

Chief Inspector Stiles said the driver had also been left traumatised by the incident and he had talked to police about what had happened.