Fatal crash closes B.C.'s Highway 5, second incident in a week on same stretch

Highway 5, north of Kamloops, B.C., was shut down Thursday afternoon after RCMP reported a driver was killed and a passenger brought to hospital following a collision involving two commercial vehicles and a pickup truck.

B.C. Highway Patrol said the crash happened at 12:08 p.m. near Louis Creek, about five kilometres south of Barriere.

"Highway 5 is currently closed in both directions at this time, and a time of re-opening is undetermined," said highway patrol spokesman Const. Mike Moore.

Almost exactly one week earlier, another driver was killed when two commercial vehicles collided on the same stretch of Highway 5, about 16 kilometres further south near McLure.

Barriere RCMP, B.C. Highway Patrol officers from Kamloops and Clearwater as well as collision analysts and reconstruction experts all responded to Thursday's incident.

Moore says B.C. Highway Patrol has taken over the investigation and, while it's still in early stages, there was nothing that initially suggested any criminal actions contributed to the crash.

He said drivers should check with DriveBC for updates on the highway closure and possible detours.