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A 38-year-old person has died in a crash on Coquihalla Highway.
The southbound lanes of the highway between Merritt and Hope re-opened this morning following the deadly crash late yesterday afternoon.
The crash prompted the overnight closure of the highway, south of the City of Merritt.
The collision involved two commercial vehicles on Highway 5, the Coquihalla Highway, and approximately four kilometres south of Merritt.
Witnesses at the scene told police that both semi-tractor units were travelling in the southbound lanes of Highway 5 when the collision happened.
It is believed that one of those commercial vehicles was travelling at relatively slow speeds in the right hand lane.
The second commercial vehicle collided with the rear of the first commercial vehicle as driver tried to overtake it from the left.
A co-driver, believed to be in the tractors sleeper, was ejected from the cabin and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The drivers of both the vehicles worked together to attempt to provide life-saving measures to the 38-year-old victim at the scene, but he succumbed to his injuries.
Both drivers were transported by BC Emergency Health Services to hospital for precautionary reasons.
If you witnessed this crash and have not yet spoken to police, or you have dash camera footage of the collision, you are asked to call the Merritt RCMP at 250-378-4262.
The victim’s name will not be released.
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