Assiniboia welcomes Weyburn Red Wings with open arms during ammonia shutdown
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Billets were found for all Red Wings players in just four hours.
A Saskatchewan woman about to attend her first Roughrider game is instead fighting for her life in hospital after a devastating highway collision.
On Saturday morning, Ashley and Matt Klassen, a couple from Christopher Lake, were on their way to Regina when they were involved in a head-on crash north of Prince Albert.
It happened 10 kilometres north of the city on Highway 2 around 8 a.m.
RCMP said a northbound car crossed the center lane and struck their pick-up truck. The crash closed the highway for over an hour.
Matt and Ashley were both hurt. So to was the driver of the car.
Matt suffered a bruised kidney. He remains at Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert, but is expected to make a full recovery.
Ashley wasn’t as lucky.
She remains in critical condition in Saskatoon hospital after undergoing surgery.
Her sister, Tonya Spriggs said doctors are concerned they will have to operate a second time after finding more internal bleeding in her stomach.
Spriggs said following surgery she suffered multiple strokes and has swelling on the brain.
“She won’t be the sister we knew. If she survives the week, that’s a good thing, but because of the strokes that recovery is going to be long for her.”
“It’s all a waiting game right now,” said Spriggs.
To make matters even worse, Spriggs said their father passed away just a week ago from brain cancer. She said they were not sure they would even go to the game because they were grieving, but they decided they could all use a bit of a break.
“So we said, you know, we need a little break, so let’s go watch the game and just enjoy ourselves,” said Spriggs. “And this happens, so we’ve been playing the ‘what if’ game ever since it happened.”
Support pours in
The couple just got married in July and have a 1-year-old son.
As of noon on Tuesday, a GoFundMe campaign for the couple had raised nearly $10,000 to help with medical bills and lost wages.
Rider Nation has also stepped up for the family. The team reached out after their story was posted on a Facebook Rider fan page. Spriggs said the team reimbursed the cost of their tickets to the game and have sent jerseys to the couple and their son.
“We have been getting so many kind words. Fans of the Riders, donating money, just because.”
“So huge and such a relief,” Spriggs said.
RCMP said the investigation is ongoing and haven’t ruled out alcohol as factor.