By Global News

Cranbrook firefighter among 2 killed in head-on crash near Yahk, B.C.

Feb 4, 2018 | 11:01 AM

CRANBROOK, B.C. — The community of Cranbrook is mourning the passing of a prominent firefighter, who was one of two people killed in a highway crash in southeastern B.C.

Clayton Murrell was driving a pickup truck towing a horse trailer that was struck head-on by a tractor-trailer. He was trapped in his vehicle and died at the scene, as did both horses in the trailer.

Murrell’s partner, Joan MacKinnon, was a passenger in the truck and was airlifted to hospital in critical condition.

Police said the driver of the tractor trailer, a 59-year-old Edmonton man, was ejected from the truck and died at the scene.

The crash, which occurred near the community of Yahk, closed Highway 3/95 in both directions for several hours on Saturday.

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Murrell was a captain with the Cranbrook Fire Department. Last year, he received a British Columbia Long Service Medal for 25 years of service as a firefighter.

“Clayton will be remembered for his kindness, as being a gentle soul and for his professionalism,” the City of Cranbrook said in a statement.

 Investigators said they believe icy roads, driving too fast for the road conditions, and the fact the tractor-trailer driver wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, all contributed to the fatalities.

— With files from The Canadian Press