Fatal Saskatoon crash not an accident, police say

The crash that killed a 27-year-old Saskatoon man on Sunday morning is not being considered an accident by local police.

Saskatoon Police wrote in an email to CKOM News on Tuesday that no further details will be released, including the driver’s name.

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The crash happened Sunday around 2:30 a.m. when a pickup truck heading westbound on Highway 16 struck the Boychuk Drive overpass and burst into flames.

In a news release, the Saskatoon Fire Department wrote the vehicle was fully engulfed in fire when it arrived on scene.

According to Saskatoon police, the 27-year-old driver was the truck’s sole occupant.

The collision led to closures in the east and westbound lanes on Highway 16, though they reopened hours later Sunday. North and southbound traffic on Boychuk Drive wasn’t impacted.

Despite smashing into the overpass, the City of Saskatoon said damage from the collision was not significant, with the structure remaining safe to drive on.

Though, “minor damage has been identified, and the specific scope and timing of repairs will be determined and incorporated into the Bridge Preservation Program,” the city said in a statement.

Deadly crash on Monday

On Monday, a Highway 16 crash killed a 78-year-old woman from Maidstone.

The two-vehicle collision between a car and an SUV happened west of Marshall around noon, at the intersection of the highway and Range Road 3273, according to the Saskatchewan RCMP.

“The driver and sole occupant of the SUV was declared deceased by EMS at the scene. She has been identified as a 78-year-old female from Maidstone, SK.,” the RCMP said in a statement.

The other driver, also the only person in their vehicle, was brought to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, RCMP said.

A portion of Highway 16 was shut down for the initial investigation, but by Tuesday morning was already back open to traffic.

Another accident happened while police were controlling traffic at the scene, though, when a truck and motorcycle collided on the highway.

Neither driver reported serious injuries to police, though RCMP said the truck driver was handed a ticket, “for following too closely.”

According to RCMP, the fatal crash is still under investigation.