KAMLOOPS, B.C. — One member of the Thompson Rivers University men's volleyball team is dead and two more are in critical condition following a car crash Wednesday in Kamloops.
The RCMP says their small car was hit by an out-of-control vehicle and pushed into a busy intersection in Kamloops, causing a multi-car pileup.
The crash happened Wednesday near the TRU campus.
The school has confirmed the three men — all in their 20s — played for the university's Wolfpack volleyball team. Their names have not been released.
Investigators say one of the men died in hospital and the other two are being treated for what are described as "life-altering" injuries.
University president Brett Fairbairn, in a statement posted on the TRU website, called the incident an "inexplicable tragedy."
"Our most sincere thoughts are with their families and loved ones, and on behalf of TRU, I offer our deepest condolences," Fairbairn said. "We grieve with them, along with others, including their teammates, friends, classmates, and professors. This is a loss for the TRU community that will be felt for a long time."
The university is offering counselling support to all students and staff.
Seven other people were hurt in the pileup, with three needing hospital care and four treated at the scene. RCMP in Kamloops are appealing for witnesses or dashcam video as they try to determine what happened.
The TRU volleyball team is expected to cancel a pair of weekend games against the visiting Trinity Western Spartans.
The school's weekend basketball games against the University of Victoria have been postponed due to the tragedy.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 30, 2023.
The Canadian Press
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