Prince George, B.C. – Highway 16 is once again open to traffic near the BC-Alberta border after being closed late Friday night following a multi-vehicle, fatal accident.

Two pickup trucks collided initially and the wreckage was then hit by three more vehicles.   The four people in the trucks, a male in one, two males and a female in the other, all died in the collision.  Fifteen people in the three vehicles that piled into the trucks were taken to hospitals in Jasper and elsewhere for treatment of a wide variety of injuries.  An RCMP spokesperson believed none of the injuries were of a critical nature.

The collision happened at about 10:45 Friday night, six kilometers west of Jasper.  RCMP told 250 News that an eastbound pickup driven by the lone male occupant crossed into the oncoming lane and hit a westbound pickup truck head-on.  All four deceased were from northern Alberta communities.  At this time home towns of all of those involved in the accident have not been released.

RCMP Cpl. John Spaans says police investigators have not ruled out speed, alcohol or drugs as factors in the collision.

Highway 16, which was closed to all traffic, has now re-opened but Cpl. Spaans says because there was so much traffic backed up in both directions over a nine-hour period and no alternate routes were available, it will be slow going until the density thins out.