Washington state residents killed in highway crash near Campbell River
Hwy 19 closed for hours after multi-vehicle crash Sunday night
Two people from Washington State are dead and three others are in hospital after a head-on crash along Highway 19 near Campbell River, B.C., on Sunday.
RCMP said the vehicle from Washington state was travelling north on Highway 19, north of Campbell River, when it was hit by an oncoming pickup truck around 5:40 p.m. PT.
A statement said the truck had crossed the centre line on a right-hand curve.
A man and a woman from Washington, both in their 50s, died on scene. Three others involved in the crash were taken to hospital in critical condition, a statement said.
The highway was shut down for several hours as RCMP investigated the crash. Collision analysts attended the scene.
"At this time our thoughts are with the families involved in this collision," RCMP Const. Maury Tyre wrote in a statement late Sunday.
The B.C. Coroner's Service is also investigating.
Highway 19 is the main north-south road on Vancouver Island, linking Nanaimo and Port Hardy.