Columbia Valley RCMP and Emergency Services responded to the scene of a collision on Highway 93 that killed a 65-year-old man and injured other passengers in a minivan on Saturday.
RCMP said first responders arrived at the scene near Numa Falls in Kootenay National Park around noon on May 8th.
The collision occurred when a Freightliner semi-truck heading east was attempting to pass a slower-moving passenger vehicle. The truck then crashed head-on with a westbound silver Honda Odyssey minivan.
Police said the 65-year-old man from New Brunswick who was driving the minivan died at the scene. Three other female passengers with ages ranging from 12-years old to 58-years old all received various levels of injuries requiring medical attention at a hospital. All passengers in the vehicle were from New Brunswick.
Police said the injuries were serious, but are not believed to be life-threatening at this time. Neither occupant of the semi-truck was injured.
The driver of the vehicle being passed by the semi did not remain on the scene, and police are asking the driver to contact investigators in Cranbrook at 250-420-4244. The vehicle is described as a light-coloured SUV with a cargo box on the roof.
Highway 93 was closed for most of the day following the crash as police investigated the scene. BC RCMP Traffic Services in Cranbrook is leading the investigation and is seeking witnesses to give their account of the crash.
“Anyone who was traveling on Highway 93 in the vicinity of Numa Falls around the noon hour on Saturday, May 8, 2021, who witnessed this collision or the events leading up to it, including any dashboard camera video is asked to call BC RCMP Traffic Services in Cranbrook at 250-420-4244,” said police.