Sask. on track to see deadlier year on roads in 2023, RCMP say

The Saskatchewan RCMP’s  latest data shows 2023 is on track to be a deadlier year on provincial roads than last.

From January to November 8, 2023, police said there have been 63 fatal collisions with 70 deaths as a result of those collisions. With the past two months, those numbers are higher.

“Since September one to October 31st, this year, we’ve had 23 fatal crashes. And as a result of those 23 accidents were crashes, there’s been 27 deaths,” said Supt. Grant St. Germaine, who is charge of Saskatchewan Traffic Services.

“Which is significantly higher. So that’s breaking us down in that two-month period to one fatal crash every 2.6 days. So back to the initial part of this year, January 1 to August 31st, we had 36 fatal crashes, which broke down 38 deaths. But that was one crash every 6.7 days.”

St. Germaine said the incidence of fatal crashes in the last two months has been almost two and a half times what it was in the preceding eight months.

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The Saskatchewan RCMP stated in 2022, there were 65 fatal collisions and 79 deaths as a result of those collisions throughout the year.

He added that analysts are unsure of why it’s been high recently but looking into the causal factors, St. Germaine said alcohol, drug use and lack of motorist attention could be the reasons.

“About 30 to 32 per cent of our crashes are indicating that alcohol is a contributing factor, which is high,” he said. “We’ve got a significant number of accidents, crashes that are related to drug use. And our incidence of drug use on vehicles this year is up about 250 per cent … those numbers are up significantly. But whether or not they’re actually causal factors on crashes, we don’t have any data at this point that says that it is.”

On November 3, 2023, officers from the Weyburn RCMP responded to two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Highway #33 and a grid road at Fillmore, SK.

“A car and semi collided in the roadway. The 21-year-old male driver of the car, from Regina, was pronounced dead at the scene,” police stated in an earlier release. “The adult male passenger was transported to hospital with serious injuries. The adult male driver of the semi was not injured. An RCMP collision reconstructionist continue to investigate.”

Estevan and Carnduff RCMP responded to single vehicle rollover on November 3, 2023, south of Benson, SK on Highway #47. Police stated the 27-year-old male driver was transported to hospital in serious condition, where he later died. An RCMP collision reconstructionist continue to investigate.

On November 5th, 2023, Kindersley RCMP responded to a report of a two-vehicle collision on Ditson Drive in Kindersley involving a car and a truck.

“The adult male driver of the car was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries,” police stated, as Kindersley RCMP continue to investigate. “The adult female passenger of the car was transported to hospital with what were described as critical injuries and remains in hospital. The adult male driver of the truck was transported to hospital with injuries.”