Owyn McInnis died in a car crash near Thompson Rivers University on Nov. 29, 2023.

Image Credit: INSTAGRAM

A Thompson Rivers University volleyball player has been identified as the person killed in a multi-vehicle car crash this week.

The memorial for Owyn McInnis is growing at the site of the fatal Nov. 29 crash, just across the road from the university.

McInnis was identified by his mother Erin Walter in a Dec. 1 social media post.

"I’m numb that Sunday was the last day I’ll ever see my son again," her post reads.

McInnis is a Guelph, Ontario native, but Walter said she is in Kamloops. She said she expects to learn more about what happened in the coming days, citing the fact there is a criminal investigation into the crash.

She hasn't responded to an interview request from iNFOnews.ca.

McInnis was in a car stopped at the intersection of University Drive and McGill Road when it was hit by a pickup truck on Nov. 29. Emergency responders were called to the scene of the multi-vehicle crash around 3 p.m.

"Owyn loved many things. (He loved) his family dearly, his beautiful sweet girlfriend Amber, experimenting with food, volleyball, hiking, sushi and so much more," Walter said.

The memorial for McInnis lines the sidewalk near the crash site, just across the road from Thompson Rivers University.

(LEVI LANDRY / iNFOnews.ca)

Flowers, teddy bears and WolfPack memorabilia line the sidewalk at the site of the McGIll Road crash.

"The WolfPack and volleyball community is heartbroken by this loss. You are so loved and you will be missed," a message at the memorial reads.

"Much love, brother," reads another. "WolfPack for life."

The crash not only took McInnis' life, but it also put two other WolfPack volleyball players in the hospital with serious injuries. Their current medial status isn't known.

"As we navigate these unbearable waters please send love and energy to the two other boys, we don’t want another set of parents to experience what we are right now," Walter said.

A Dodge Ram took out at lease one tree before hitting Volkswagen McInnis and his fellow players were in. The crash damaged five vehicles in total injuring four people. Two people inside a Jeep were treated for injuries that weren't life-threatening.

"It is hard to find words that express how we feel in these moments, in the face of such inexplicable tragedy. Our most sincere thoughts are with their families and loved ones, and on behalf of TRU, I offer our deepest condolences," university president Brett Fairbairn said in a statement yesterday.

The university did not identify McInnis or either of the other two players in the crash.

Kamloops Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson offered condolences to family and friends on behalf of the city.

"TRU students are a vital piece of the fabric of Kamloops. The impact of this loss is felt throughout Kamloops and beyond and will continue to impact friends and family as they support the recovery of those injured in the event," the mayor said in a statement.

Exactly what led to the crash is still under investigation. Police haven't said whether criminality is suspected.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Levi Landry or call 250-819-3723 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here.

News from © iNFOnews, 2023