Police probe suspected fatal hit-and-run on Coquihalla Highway

Police say a man found dead off the Coquihalla Highway near Merritt, B.C., was likely hit by a vehicle, possibly days before his body was discovered.

Merritt RCMP said it received a report that the body of a man had been found just off the roadway near Exit 286 of Highway 5 in Merritt, B.C. on Friday.

Investigators say a collision reconstructionist found the man was likely hit by a vehicle that was approaching the exit from the south. 

Police say they spoke with the man's friends and family, and they believe he was hit sometime between Tuesday evening and the day he was found. 

Exit 286 is known as the Coldwater Interchange and connects Highway 5 with Highway 97C to Kelowna and Highway 5A into Merritt, which lies just to the northwest. 

B.C. Highway Patrol says it is looking for anyone who may have seen a man in a grey hoodie sweatshirt and black track pants in the area between Tuesday evening and Friday, or drivers with dashcam footage of the area during this time. 

Potential witnesses should contact B.C. Highway Patrol in Merritt at 250-378-4262 and reference file 2024-3322.