Two people were killed in a three-vehicle collision on Highway 5 yesterday afternoon about 10 km south of Blue River.

Clearwater RCMP say a northbound sedan with two men inside crossed the centre median near the Six Mile Bridge around 2:05 p.m. in the afternoon and hit the trailer of a semi that was hauling a wide load before colliding head-on into a pilot truck that was following the semi.

“The driver of the sedan, a man in his seventies, and the passenger, a man in his twenties, died as a result,” Sgt. Grant Simpson said. “The driver of the pilot truck, a woman in her forties, was transported to hospital by Air Ambulance with significant injuries.”

Simpson says Clearwater RCMP are leading the investigation with help from BC Highway Patrol, the RCMP’s Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Service, and the BC Coroners’ Service.

“The cause of the collision is not considered to be criminal in nature and, although early in the investigation and subject to change, evidence suggests that the driver of the sedan may have suffered a medical emergency prior to the crash,” Simpson added.

Highway 5 was closed in both directions for more than four hours while police gathered evidence. It opened to a single lane of alternating traffic around 6:30 p.m., before fully opened around 9 p.m.

Anyone with information about this collision who has not yet spoken with police is being told to contact Clearwater RCMP at 250-674-2237 and cite file 2022-1023.