Kamloops RCMP say a horse was killed and a man was taken to hospital after a crash with a CN Rail train in Rayleigh this morning.

The crash happened just after 10:30 a.m. on a section of the track near the Yellowhead Highway, near Devick Road.

Witness Nathan Ritchie tells NL News there was blowing snow when the crash happened; a blowing snow advisory and a wind warning are in place today for the Kamloops area from Environment Canada.

“Even on a clear, calm day the tracks are dangerous. So you combine that with the limited visibility and noise and wind. Horse (could’ve) been spoken, who knows what could’ve happened. But it’s just a tragic, tragic incident.”

Ritchie says the man involved appeared to be conscious when being loaded into an ambulance. He says there was a large amount of blood on the shoulder of the highway near the crash scene, where the horse was loaded.

Traffic was stopped heading southbound on the Yellowhead Highway for a short time while police, ambulance, fire crews and the BC Conservation Officer Service was on scene.

CN Rail has acknowledged the incident in an email to NL News, but has declined to comment further.

The cause of the crash is not clear at this point.

(Photo: Nathan Ritchie)