3 dead in head-on crash on B.C. Interior highway north of Kamloops

Police say three people are dead after a head-on crash north of Kamloops in British Columbia's Interior on Thursday, making at least 15 deaths so far this year on what locals say is a treacherousstretch of Highway 5.

RCMP Cpl. James Grandy says the accident happened at about 6:50 a.m. on Highway 5, when a southbound Toyota Corolla struck an oncoming Ford van.

He says the driver and two passengers in the Toyota died while the van driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Grandy says initial investigations determined the driver of the Toyota had been tryingto pass a semi-trailer truck.

Barriere Fire Chief Ashley Wohlgemuth says the crash happened just south of the community, about 64kilometres north of Kamloops.

Wohlgemuth says a dog in the car also died.

Police say Highway 5 in Louis Creek six kilometres south of Barriere has been closed for the investigation.

Barriere Mayor Ward Stamer noted the site of Thursday's fatal crash is very close to where a collision claimed two lives on the Labour Day weekend.

Concerns about the stretch of highway north of Kamloops havebeen growing for months, withlocal First Nations and municipal leaders calling forincreased traffic enforcement in the area earlier in December.

B.C. Transportation Minister Rob Fleming said in March he was concerned about the growing number of deadly vehicle crashes along the stretch of Highway 5 between Kamloops and Clearwater.

He has promised to look into additional safety measures, including stepped-up traffic enforcement, lowering speed limits and making dashcams mandatory on commercial vehicles.