Long weekend starts with serious crash on Highway 7

Warman RCMP are investigating a serious collision on Highway 7 between Delisle and Laura after emergency crews responded Friday night, marking another major crash as the August long weekend got underway.

Police said officers were called to the scene at about 10:35 p.m.

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Few details have been released, as the investigation remains in its early stages.

Highway 7 was temporarily closed while RCMP and emergency crews responded to the collision and investigated the scene. Witnesses report STARS was onsite.

The highway has since reopened to traffic.

The extent of any injuries and the number of vehicles involved have not been released

Warman RCMP say the investigation is still in its preliminary stages, and additional information was not immediately available Saturday morning.

The collision comes as police and traffic safety officials continue encouraging motorists to slow down and drive with extra caution during the busy August long weekend, when Saskatchewan highways typically experience increased traffic volumes.

RCMP are expected to release more information as it becomes available.

As of noon on July 30, there have been 51 fatal collisions, resulting in 62 deaths on roadways policed by the RCMP in 2026.

RCMP’s Lee Knelsen, an inspector and traffic services operations officer, said the force is seeing more situations involving drug and alcohol impairment.

In the first six months of 2025, 35 per cent of fatal collisions were investigated as involving alcohol and/or drugs as a contributing factor. Knelsen noted earlier this week that number for the same period of time in 2026 has jumped to 52 per cent.

“Now, to be clear, 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.”

Knelsen 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.

Alcohol and drugs are generally considered to be a contributing factor in about 33 per cent of collisions, Knelsen shared. While it used to be common to see these crashes happening late at night or in the early evening, the inspector said now they can happen “any hour of the day.”

Looking to statistics dating back to 2010, Knelsen said impairment has been consistently dropping year to year. However, he said the level it’s at is still “unacceptable and certainly we’re seeing the issues that come with that.”

The RCMP also noted a “significant” uptick within the past two months in multiple fatalities resulting from a single collision.

— with files from 650 CKOM’s Libby Gray

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