CLEARWATER, B.C. — Police in the British Columbia Interior say two people are dead after a fiery head-on crash involving a semi-truck and a truck belonging to the rail company CN.
A statement from the RCMP says officers from Clearwater, B.C., north of Kamloops, responded to the scene along Highway 5 at 12:50 a.m. on Tuesday.
The Mounties say the semi and the CN truck crashed head on, then became "engulfed in flames" after a tank exploded on one of the trucks.
The driver of the CN truck and a passenger in the semi were killed, while the other driver and another passenger in the CN truck are in stable but critical condition.
Police say the crash sparked a small wildfire that has since been contained.
Cpl. Melissa Jongema says in a statement that it's too early in the investigation to comment on the cause of the crash, but police are urging drivers to pull over if they're tired and drive during daylight hours when possible.
The statement adds that wildlife are more active at dusk and dawn.
"If wildlife is present on the highway, consider the presence of on-coming vehicles before swerving around an animal and into on-coming lanes," it says.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 25, 2024.
The Canadian Press
