Police have confirmed that three people were killed in a multi-vehicle crash that shut down Hwy 3 near Cranbrook for several hours last week.
Emergency crews were called out to the fatal collision involving a logging truck and two passenger vehicles around 8 am on Thursday, June 1.
Investigators have now learned that the loaded logging truck was travelling westbound on the highway when it experienced “a mechanical failure.”
That caused the commercial vehicle to veer across the centre line into eastbound traffic, where it struck a Chevrolet Suburban. The third vehicle involved went off the road as it evaded the collision.
According to police, all three fatalities in the crash were occupants of the Suburban and they were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the logging truck was transported to hospital with serious injuries.
The highway remained closed all day while investigators probed the scene before reopening around 7 pm.
The BC Highway Patrol’s Cranbrook division has control of the investigation, but no further details regarding the occupants of the vehicles are being released at this time.
Anyone who witnessed the collision, or has relevant dash cam footage that could assist the investigation, is urged to contact the BCHP Cranbrook at 250-420-4244.
