A 15-year-old girl has been killed and a man is in hospital after their car plunged about 30 metres off a cliff in the town of Strahan on Tasmania’s west coast.

Police said a 20-year-old Strahan man was at the wheel of the vehicle when he apparently lost control about 11:00pm on Friday.

The car careered across a grass strip and over a drain before heading over the cliff and landing in an empty area adjacent to Strahan’s main street, the Esplanade.

Three passengers were in the vehicle, two teenage girls from Burnie and another man believed to be from the north west.

Police believe one of the girls was thrown from the car when it hit the ground and was trapped beneath the vehicle.

She died at the scene.

The male passenger was airlifted to Royal Hobart Hospital while the driver and other girl suffered minor injuries.

No names have been released at this stage.

The police investigation is under way with a report to be prepared for the coroner.

Anyone who witnessed the crash should contact police in Strahan or Burnie.