A 45-year-old man from Yellowknife was killed in an early morning vehicle collision Wednesday on Highway 3.

Police received a call for service around 2 a.m. about the accident that took place 45 kilometres west of Yellowknife on the way to Behchoko, said in a news release.

The accident occurred after two pickup trucks were parked on one side of the highway, with a flat tire on a trailer. A semi-truck driving towards Yellowknife stopped on the other side to offer help.

As a westbound semi-truck approached the scene it collided with the parked pickup trucks, striking the victim who was outside of his truck and assisting with the trailer.

He was declared him dead at the scene.

The two passengers inside the parked pickup trucks suffered non-life threatening injuries and were taken to Stanton Territorial Hospital.

Both semi-trucks were transporting fuel but there were no spills, and their drivers weren't injured.

Behchoko provided traffic assistance while the highway was closed for several hours during the investigation. The highway was reopened later in the morning.

Alcohol was not a factor in the incident, but it is believed the extreme cold weather conditions were factors.

The investigation is ongoing.