MERRITT, B.C. — UPDATE- 4:45 am- The Coquihalla Highway was
closed for several hours Thursday evening after a fatal, multi-vehicle crash.
The collision happened just south of Merritt, near Coldwater Road.
Emergency crews were called out at 5:30 PM.
Joshua Knaak, president of the Kamloops Chamber, was on the highway just after the collision happened. He said the crash involved at least three vehicles, that there were multiple injuries, and a citizen was performing CPR. Knaak adds that roads were slick due to heavy rainfall at the time.
At least one person died in the incident. 6 people were transported to hospital. Two patients were taken by air ambulance in critical condition, four more were taken by ground in stable condition.
At least one person was ejected from their vehicle, with a Good Samaritan stopping to perform CPR until help arrived.
The highway was reopened to traffic around 1:00 AM.
EARLIER – Drivers headed in or out of the interior are being advised to stay off the Coquihalla, with the highway closed in both directions between Hope and Merritt due to a fatal multi-vehicle crash.
According to DriveBC, the crash happened near Coldwater Road south of Exit 290. Drivers on the route report heavy rain in the area.
The BC Coroners Service confirmed that it had been deployed to the scene.
At this point DriveBC does not have an estimated time of opening, but detours are available via Highways 1, 3 and 5A.
Kamloops Chamber President Joshua Knaak was on the scene shortly after the crash. He said the crash involved at least three vehicles, that there were multiple injuries, and a citizen was performing CPR.
Two air ambulances were deployed to the scene.
DriveBC says an assessment is in progress, and has provided no expected time to reopen.
Drivers are being advised to take Highway 1 or Highway 3 as alternate routes.
BC Emergency Health Services says no information is available yet.
“Just driving ahead I saw an ambulance in the left hand lane of the direction that I was headed, south,” Knaak tells CFJC Today. “Obviously I slowed down to see what was going on and there was three vehicles on the left hand side that had been involved in the accident.
“There were people around, somebody next to one of the vehicles doing CPR, and then more responders came and it looked like another individual was found underneath or behind, wedged sort of behind another vehicle that was here.”
