One dead, four injured in highway rollover near Merritt; RCMP say speed likely a factor

One person has died and four others were seriously injured after a single-vehicle rollover on Highway 5 north of Juliet Road near Merritt, British Columbia.

RCMP say they were called to the crash site around 3:50 p.m. Saturday, after reports that a four-door sedan carrying five people veered off the road at high speed before overturning and coming to a stop.

Emergency crews pronounced one person dead at the scene, despite efforts to save their life. The remaining four passengers were taken to hospital with varying injuries.

The crash led to a temporary closure of Highway 5, halting traffic for several hours, but Drive BC later confirmed the route has been reopened.

RCMP investigators believe speed was the primary cause of the crash. In a statement, RCMP spokesperson Brett Urano extended condolences to the victims’ families and urged drivers to use extra caution on B.C. highways, particularly during fall travel season, when weather and road conditions can change quickly.

The incident has drawn concern among highway safety advocates and South Asian community groups in Surrey and Abbotsford, who frequently travel the Interior routes and have called for better signage and driver awareness programs on accident-prone stretches like the Coquihalla corridor.