The driver of a semi-truck involved in a fatal collision at Highway 1 and Highway 16 Sunday night faces multiple charges.

A 17-year-old male and 19-year-old female were killed when a semi struck a passenger vehicle just west of Portage la Prairie around 8:30 p.m. Sunday night.

A fire department official says a semi truck driving westbound on Highway 1 struck a passenger vehicle travelling southbound on Highway 16. The westbound lanes of Highway 1 were closed for over six hours overnight as crews worked to clear the scene.

Mounties say in a release, when police arrived on scene, they assisted EMS in providing medical care while the fire department extracted two individuals from a car. The 19-year-old female from the RM of Alonsa and 17-year-old male from Portage were pronounced dead at the scene.

Police say initial investigation determined a semi-truck was travelling westbound on the Trans-Canada Highway carrying a load of heavy pipes when it ran the red light at the intersection and collided with the car, which was heading southbound on Highway 16.

Gurjant Singh, 23, from British Columbia, was arrested and charged with two counts of Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle and two counts of Criminal Negligence Causing Death. He remains in custody. Alcohol is not considered a factor in the collision.

“Last night, RCMP officers had to go tell two families that their children were never coming home,” said Tara Seel, Media Relations Officer with the RCMP in Manitoba in a release. “Now those families are reeling, and the bottom line is – they should not have to be. The tragedies we are seeing on the roadways are preventable. Drivers need to slow down and pay attention.”

A RCMP Forensic Collision Reconstructionist and the RCMP Criminal Collision Investigative Team are assisting with the ongoing investigation.

It was the second fatal accident near the Highway 1 and Highway 16 junction in just two days, after a pedestrian was struck and killed Saturday.

Note: This article was updated from a previous version to correct inaccurate information provided by emergency officials about those involved.