Man killed in B.C.’s Kootenay region when motorcycle hit elk on highway

TRAIL, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA — A motorcycle rider has been killed in British Columbia’s Kootenay Region after hitting an elk.

Trail RCMP say the crash happened at around 4:25 a.m. on Monday on a stretch of Highway 3B in Montrose, about 640 kilometres east of Vancouver.

Police say they were called to the scene after witnesses reported seeing the motorcycle collide with the animal.

A 27-year-old man from Fruitvale was riding the motorcycle and he was declared dead at the scene after sustaining serious injuries.

Police say the elk was also killed in the crash.

Investigators have turned the case over to the BC Coroners Service after determining there was no criminality involved.

Data from the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia says crashes involving wildlife rose to more than 12,500 in 2024, up significantly from the 10-year average of 11,600.

There have been 24 fatal crashes in B.C. involving wildlife between 2015 and 2024.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2026.

The Canadian Press