Stacey Tourout and Matthew Yeomans, the beloved duo behind the YouTube channel Toyota World Runners, died in a horrific off-roading accident on August 7 near Trout Lake, British Columbia. The couple, who amassed over 200,000 subscribers and 72,000 Instagram followers by sharing their adventures across North and South America, plunged more than 650 feet down a rocky mountainside, reportedly rolling “many, many times” during the fall.
Kaslo Search and Rescue (SAR) manager Mark Jennings-Bates described the accident as harrowing. The engaged couple had been traveling along a forestry road in the mountains when the crash occurred. Rescuers found one of the pair dead at the scene, while the other was critically injured and later died in hospital. It remains unclear which of the two died immediately.
The official cause of the crash has not yet been confirmed, though investigators believe the vehicle likely lost control on the rugged terrain. Jennings-Bates described the rescue operation as challenging due to the steep uphill trek required to reach the victims.
Stacey Tourout’s mother, Colleen, confirmed their deaths in a heartbreaking social media post, saying: “They died together in an off-road accident in the beautiful mountains of British Columbia that they loved so much. Please keep us and them in your thoughts and prayers as we navigate this devastating end to an amazing love story.”
Fans and fellow creators have flooded social media with tributes, remembering the couple’s adventurous spirit and their contributions to the off-roading community. Fellow YouTuber Shaun of The Story Till Now shared his heartbreak, recalling that he had spoken to Matthew the day before the accident. Colin Stuart, from the Dirt Theory channel, wrote that he had been with the couple during the crash and did everything he could to help, calling it the hardest 20 hours of his life.
Stacey and Matthew were best known for building the “world’s first Land Cruiser Chinook in 100 days,” a custom off-road vehicle combining a Toyota Land Cruiser with a Chinook camper, documented on their YouTube channel. In addition to their Land Cruiser adventures, the couple often showcased creative RV retrofits, combining vehicle parts to make them off-road ready. Their final video, uploaded on July 31, captured an off-roading journey across Vancouver Island, just a week before the fatal accident.
Jennings-Bates has urged off-roading enthusiasts to exercise extreme caution in the mountains, highlighting the dangers of rugged terrain even for experienced drivers.
The tragic deaths have left a profound impact on both their families and the global off-roading community, who remember Stacey and Matthew as the “heart and soul” of their adventure network.
