RCMP responds to multiple collisions on Saskatchewan highways

Police in Saskatchewan have responded to a large number of collisions on roads and highways after the first snowfall of the season pummeled the province.

According to the Saskatchewan RCMP, between midnight and 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Mounties have received approximated 36 reports of “weather-related traffic issues from across the province,” which include collisions and vehicles stuck in ditches.

The RCMP said the westbound lanes of the Trans-Canada Highway were blocked near Belle Plaine on Tuesday morning “due to multiple semis hitting guardrails.”

The Mounties also responded to a report of a serious crash on Highway 33, about a kilometre east of Kronau.

The highway near Belle Plaine was opened again early Tuesday afternoon, the RCMP said in an emailed update.

The RCMP said officers also responded to a multi-vehicle collision involving two semis on Highway 10, about six kilometres east of Fort Qu’Appelle. In a statement issued shortly after noon on Tuesday, police said no injuries were reported, but the highway was “completely blocked with one semi jack-knifed across the road.”

Police said Highway 10 was opened to traffic again Tuesday afternoon.

According to police in Saskatoon, officers in the city responded to 19 collisions between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. Tuesday, including a three-vehicle crash involving a school bus, though no serious injuries were reported and the youths aboard the bus weren’t hurt.

Early Tuesday morning, Regina police said officers in the Queen City had responded to four collisions since 4 a.m.

Police said three of those collisions resulted in property damage with no injuries, while one crash — which occurred just before 6 a.m. at Ninth Avenue North and McCarthy Boulevard — resulted in minor injuries.

As of 4:30 p.m., Regina police said officers responded to a total of a dozen crashes Tuesday, with only the crash on Ninth Avenue causing injuries.

The RCMP recommended drivers check Saskatchewan’s Highway Hotline for the latest update on conditions before hitting the road.

“If conditions are unsafe, stay home,” the RCMP added.

Meanwhile, some local tire shops are dealing with a huge volume of customers as many are searching for an appointment to get their winter tires put on for the season.

— With files from 650 CKOM’s Brent Bosker