MERRITT, B.C. – A 24-year-old Surrey man is dead and three other Surrey men are in hospital with serious injuries after a head-on collision on Highway 5 near Merritt on Saturday morning. Police say speed and impairment are suspected, and the driver of the wrong-way vehicle has been detained.
BC Highway Patrol officers were called to Highway 5, the Coquihalla, at 8:30 a.m. on October 17, 2026, after multiple complaints about a vehicle driving southbound in the northbound lanes. While officers were en route to intercept the vehicle, they learned of a head-on collision just south of the Helmer exit near Merritt.
When officers arrived, they found a black Toyota Tacoma and a white Toyota RAV4, both heavily damaged.
A 24-year-old Surrey man who was a passenger in the white Toyota RAV4 died at the scene. Three other Surrey men, between the ages of 24 and 38, were also in the RAV4. All three were taken to hospital with serious injuries.
The lone occupant of the black Toyota Tacoma, a 22-year-old man from Coldwater, suffered apparently minor injuries. He was detained for suspected impaired driving.
Police are now asking for witnesses and dash-camera video to determine the exact sequence of events leading up to the crash.
“We need more video and witnesses who can tell us what the driver of the black Toyota Tacoma was doing before he started driving,” said Sergeant Michael McLaughlin with BC Highway Patrol. “Some witnesses say the black Toyota Tacoma entered Highway 5 near Lac Le Jeune. If you saw what the driver was doing before he started driving, we need to talk to you.”
Anyone who saw the events leading up to the collision, has dash-camera video, or witnessed the actions of the Tacoma driver before the crash is asked to call BC Highway Patrol in Kamloops at 250-828-3111 and quote file 2026-2997.
The Coquihalla Highway is one of the busiest routes connecting the Lower Mainland to the Interior. Wrong-way driving incidents on divided highways are rare but often deadly, and police say impairment is a factor in a significant share of them.
This is a developing story. Apna News will update as more information becomes available.
Source: BC Highway Patrol, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
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