"I was initially kind of shocked," the man said of the note left on his vehicle. "It was out of left field. It wasn't expected."

The road is closed for 15.5 kilometres between Golden Donald Upper Road and Ten Mile Hill Truck Stop Road.

The first stage of the annual competition ends Sunday, with the top four communities being announced in mid-March.

The closure is from Golden to the west boundary of Yoho National Park, a distance of 15.5 kilometres.

According to DriveBC, the estimated time of the highway’s reopening is 1 p.m.

RCMP said the cause of the crash is not known, but winter driving conditions are considered a possible factor.

DriveBC says the highway is closed in both directions, and that a detour is not available.

Three serious collisions in the span of just four days claimed three lives.

It marked the third closure in four days in the area due to a crash, one of which killed one person Wednesday.

Highway improvements in the Shuswap and Columbia regions include lane widening, bridge replacements and others.