15-year-old killed in ATV accident north of Kamloops

A young teenager died in an ATV accident north of Kamloops on Sunday (June 9), the second such death reported in the province in the last week.

According to RCMP Barriere, Sunday’s crash victim, a 15-year-old boy, was traveling on a forest road about 90 kilometres north of Kamloops when he lost control. The all-terrain vehicle overturned and the teenager was seriously injured. A passenger riding with him suffered minor injuries.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) arrived at the scene of the accident near km 2 of the forest road at 4:30 p.m. and found paramedics and passers-by tending to the accident victims. Despite their efforts, the 15-year-old succumbed to his injuries and died.

According to RCMP, initial evidence suggests that the teenager was not wearing a seatbelt.

“This tragic event has had a significant impact on all communities surrounding Barriere,” Corp. Kyle Camalush said in a statement on Tuesday (June 11).

The accident occurred just five days after another fatal ATV crash on a forest service road near Agassiz. RCMP discovered two men in an embankment next to the East Harrison Forest Service Road at around 10:40 p.m. on June 4. One of the men was pronounced dead at the scene, while the second was taken to hospital with serious injuries.