Two people are dead following a head-on collision on Highway 19 Thursday evening, just south of the Buckley Bay turnoff.

Shortly after 6 p.m., a southbound sedan crossed the meridian and collided head-on with a northbound minivan.

The female driver of the car died at the scene. One of the two occupants of the minivan died later in hospital.

Highway 19 northbound at Cook Creek Road was closed to traffic for hours, and traffic was required to re-route to Highway 19A.

Authorities as still trying to determine why the southbound vehicle crossed the meridian.

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The condition of the second person in the minivan is not known at this time. It is unclear whether it was the driver, or passenger, of the minivan that perished.

-With files from CTV Vancouver Island