Two people from Calgary were struck and killed by a semi truck early Thursday morning as one of them tried to help the other, whose semi had gone off the highway south of Red Deer.

A Good Samaritan pulled over on the QE2 around 1:40 a.m. to assist the truck driver, whose semi had crossed over the median and ended up in the ditch on the west side of the highway.

That's when a southbound semi ran into the debris from the first incident and was forced into the ditch, striking both of the people outside their vehicles.

The victims were pronounced dead at the scene.

They were both from Calgary, RCMP say.