The True Post (Web News) | MUHAMMAD AMANULLAH | October 20, 2026
A devastating head-on collision between two vehicles on Highway 5 in British Columbia, Canada, has claimed the life of a 24-year-old man from Surrey and left three other people seriously injured.
The crash occurred Saturday morning near Merritt after reports that a vehicle was travelling southbound in the northbound lanes of the highway. Police have arrested the driver of the second vehicle on suspicion of impaired driving.
According to the British Columbia Highway Patrol, officers received several reports at approximately 8:30 a.m. Saturday about a vehicle travelling in the wrong direction on Highway 5. The vehicle was reportedly heading south while using lanes designated for northbound traffic.
Officers were dispatched to locate and stop the vehicle. However, before they could complete the response, police received reports of a head-on collision involving two vehicles south of the Helmer exit.
Both Vehicles Badly Damaged in Collision
When officers arrived at the scene, they found two severely damaged vehicles: a black Toyota Tacoma and a white Toyota RAV4.
Photographs from the scene showed the black Toyota Tacoma overturned on its side on the roadway, while part of the white Toyota RAV4 was positioned on top of the concrete median barrier. Both vehicles sustained extensive damage, highlighting the severity of the collision.
Police said four people were travelling in the white Toyota RAV4. One of the passengers was a 24-year-old man from Surrey who suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene.
The three other male occupants, whose ages ranged from 24 to 38, sustained serious injuries and were transported to hospital. Authorities have not released further details about their medical conditions.
Toyota Tacoma Driver Arrested
The black Toyota Tacoma was occupied by a single person, a 22-year-old man from Coldwater.
According to police, he sustained minor injuries and was arrested on suspicion of impaired driving.
Investigators are working to establish how the vehicle entered the northbound lanes while travelling south and what happened in the moments leading up to the collision. Police have not yet established all the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Police Seek Witnesses and Dashcam Footage
The British Columbia Highway Patrol has appealed to the public for assistance with the investigation. Officers are particularly interested in speaking with anyone who saw the black Toyota Tacoma before the collision or may have video footage showing its movements.
Sergeant Michael McLaughlin said investigators want to establish the driver’s activities before getting behind the wheel and determine how the vehicle reached the highway.
Some witnesses reportedly told police that the black Toyota Tacoma entered Highway 5 near Lac Le Jeune. Investigators are working to verify these accounts and reconstruct the vehicle’s movements before the crash.
Police are urging anyone who witnessed the vehicle travelling along the highway or has relevant information to come forward.
How to Contact Police
Anyone with information, video footage or eyewitness observations is asked to contact the British Columbia Highway Patrol’s Kamloops office.
Phone: 250-828-3111
Police file number: (2100) 2026-2997
Investigators say information from witnesses and available video footage could help clarify the sequence of events and determine the circumstances that led to the collision.
The crash highlights the potentially devastating consequences of wrong-way driving on highways, where a vehicle entering opposing traffic lanes can cause a fatal collision within seconds.
Police continue to examine the available evidence to establish what happened before the crash and clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident.
