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One person is dead and four more are recovering from injuries following a single vehicle rollover roughly 30 km south of La Loche.
Saskatchewan RCMP said in a news release on Saturday that officers from the La Loche detachment were called to the crash scene at around 2:20 a.m. on Aug. 15 after receiving a report of rollover on Highway 155.
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Local fire crews and paramedics also responded, and the driver of the vehicle was pronounced dead. He has since been identified as a 20-year-old man from Brampton, Ont.
Four passengers were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
La Loche RCMP continue to investigate with the help of an RCMP collision reconstructionist.
Police did not supply up-to-date crash fatality figures with the release, but said on Aug. 4 the number of fatal crashes on roads policed by RCMP in the province was 54, with 67 deaths recorded.
CJME News requested updated numbers but they had not been supplied at the time of publication.
RCMP has said they are concerned about the crash fatality rate in 2026 and flagged a “significant” uptick in multiple fatalities resulting from a single collision.
Saskatchewan RCMP’s Lee Knelsen, an inspector and traffic services operations officer said the same four contributing factors and behaviours are being repeatedly seen in many of these situations: speed, not wearing seatbelts, distracted driving, and impairment.
“These are not just numbers; they represent lives lost, and these numbers are increasing,” Knelsen warned. “We urge everyone to make safe decisions every time they get behind the wheel.”
Though Knelsen said he can’t speak to why or when people are using their phones when behind the wheel, he noted that the summer season can bring more people to roadways, lots of construction and, potentially, slower traffic. He asked people to be aware that the device in their hands is both distracting and illegal.
“The public expects you to put that down. We expect you to put that down and drive and make sure that those roadways are safe,” Knelsen said.
Though the province is large and the incidents are scattered across it, Knelsen said 100 RCMP traffic services officers across the province are actively patrolling many kilometres of highway, dirt and gravel roads and performing both roving and formal, stationary checkstops.
The Mounties have also partnered with 34 municipal police agencies through Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan efforts.
“We have a number of resources that are actively out there throughout throughout the day and the night, and on the days and into the evenings as well,” Knelsen explained.
“If you are drinking, if you are using drugs, do not drive.”
— with files from 650 CKOM’s Libby Gray and CJME News
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