A Thompson Rivers University student has died and two others have been seriously injured after a crash near the school’s campus in Kamloops on Wednesday afternoon.
Police said the multi-vehicle collision involving a Jeep, Dodge Ram and Volkswagen occurred at about 3 pm at the intersection of McGill Road and University Drive.
Three male students were hurt in the Volkswagen, with one ultimately dying.
The other two are seriously hurt, police said, but the extent of their injuries has not been revealed.
The man who died was a member of the TRU volleyball team, as are the two who were injured.
TRU President Brett Fairbairn said the news has been met with “profound sadness.”
“It is hard to find words that express how we feel in these moments, in the face of such inexplicable tragedy,” he said.
“Our most sincere thoughts are with their families and loved ones, and on behalf of TRU, I offer our deepest condolences. We grieve with them, along with others, including their teammates, friends, classmates, and professors.
“This is a loss for the TRU community that will be felt for a long time.”
Both TRU and the RCMP have refused to reveal the men’s names.
TRU said counselling will be available for students in need.
Two people in the Jeep involved in the crash, meanwhile, were also hurt and taken to hospital, though their injuries have been deemed non-life-threatening.
Mounties said the Dodge Ram hit several trees before striking the Volkswagen, which was stopped at a red light.
Four other vehicles were then hit as a consequence of the original collision.
“Our hearts are broken for the victims and their families involved in this terrible tragedy,” said Spt. Jeff Pelley, Kamloops RCMP’s officer-in-charge.
“The three young adults in the Volkswagen were all members of the community in their 20s, and the loss is sure to have far reaching impacts as we struggle to understand what happened and advance the active investigation as a priority.”
The Kamloops RCMP Municipal Traffic Unit is now investigating the incident alongside the Southeast District Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Service.
Anyone with footage of the incident that has not yet spoken with police is asked to contact the detachment as soon as possible at 250-828-3000 and reference file 2023-42279.
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