The man who was killed in Thursday's multi-vehicle crash on the Coquihalla Highway was a Good Samaritan who stopped to help others, according to the RCMP.

Authorities said the incident began when a small car collided with a commercial vehicle between Hope and Merritt, near the Kingsvale Bridge.

No one was injured in the initial crash, but as the people involved were exchanging information at the roadside, two more vehicles reached the scene and caused what the RCMP described as a "chain reaction of collisions."

Several people were hurt, and a 47-year-old man from Salmon Arm who had pulled over to offer assistance was killed.

A driver and passenger from the first crash were also struck and suffered serious injuries. Police said they were both airlifted to hospital, while several others were treated at the scene.

Witnesses told CTV News there was a chaotic scene on the highway after the crash, with a number of other Good Samaritans rushing to perform CPR on the victims.

"I did see that one person lying on the ground there, and your heart misses a few beats," said Theo Faber, a truck driver.

The crash forced officials to close the busy route for several hours, but it was reopened at around 1 a.m. Friday.

It's unclear what caused the collision. Drivers told CTV News it was raining heavily at the time of the accident.