A Lower Mainland man is dead after the logging truck he was driving left the highway between Princeton and Merritt Tuesday afternoon.

At 3:10 p.m. on Tuesday, an unloaded logging truck was travelling southbound on Highway 5A when it went off the road. The truck fell down a steep embankment striking several trees in the process. According to police the cab was crushed and the 22-year-old driver killed.

Speed and icy conditions are believed to be factors in the crash.

“The public is reminded that although the temperatures have been mild of late, we are still getting winter road conditions,” said RCMP in a release “The air temperature at this scene was measured at zero degrees Celsius with road surface temperature measured at minus five degrees Celsius.”

The name of the man has not been released pending notification of next of kin.