Drunk driving charges pending after SERM officer killed on Highway 11

SASKATOON – Drunk driving charges are pending against a Saskatoon man after a SERM officer was killed while assisting at the scene of a traffic collision on Highway 11 Friday evening.

Around 5:30 p.m., RCMP responded to a two vehicle collision on Highway 11 south of Saskatoon where a pickup truck pulling a trailer collided with a car.

Saskatoon Fire and Protective Services had to use rescue tools to extricate one person from the car.

The occupant of the car suffered undisclosed injuries and was taken to Royal University Hospital (RUH) for treatment.

Northbound and southbound traffic on Highway 11 was under restrictions while emergency services and RCMP collision reconstructionists were called to the scene.

Around 7:40 pm, RCMP received a call of an erratic driver that was traveling northbound on Highway 11 towards the collision scene.

A Mountie interacted with a black SUV and was reported to be traveling at a high rate of speed before it sped off past the collision site.

While exiting the traffic diversion area, the SUV struck a Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Management (SERM) officer. The 23-year-old SERM officer from Watson was declared dead at the scene.

His name has not been released.

The SERM officer and his partner had stopped while on the way to Blackstrap Provincial Park to assist police at the north end of the diversion at Victor Road.

RCMP attempted to stop the SUV but it continued north towards Saskatoon. It eventually rolled into a ditch at the interchange of Highway 16 and 11.

Saskatoon firefighters also responded to this rollover to put out a fire.

The 35-year-old driver of the SUV was arrested for impaired driving causing bodily harm. He is currently in custody and further charges are pending against him.

RCMP are reminding drivers to slow down when approaching crash scenes to allow emergency personnel to conduct their work safely.