A semi-truck driver was killed in a fiery crash on the Okanagan Connector last night towards Merritt.

RCMP Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey says an off-duty officer came upon the crash just after 9 p.m. near the Loon Lake exit in the westbound lanes, about 25 minutes outside of Merritt.

O’Donaghey says a semi-truck drove into the back of an occupied commercial truck with a full load of lumber, which was waiting for a tow truck.

He says the driver of the second semi-truck was pronounced dead in the scene. No one else was injured at the crash scene.

The second truck was fully engulfed by fire and spread to part of the lumber truck. He says it threatened nearby forest but did not spread.

Now 14 hours later, the westbound lanes of the Connector are still closed this hour. O’Donaghey says both commercial trucks are still smouldering. At time of posting, DriveBC expects the highway to reopen westbound at 5 p.m.

Traffic is not affected going eastbound.

(Photo: Twitter @Kieursten718)