Sask. man recalls crash at Hwy 11 intersection 3 years ago

A Saskatchewan man is remembering terrifying moments in his life – and the woman who helped him in his recovery – after hearing about the deadly crash at Highway 11 and Wanuskewin Road on the weekend.

Jeremy Sax was involved in a violent crash at the same intersection in 2012. Sax joined CJME’s MainStreet program to talk about his experience.

“I was passing through the intersection on the highway and because it was early in the morning everybody was heading from Warman into Saskatoon. There was about 20 or 30 cars lined up taking a left in that lane and I didn’t see anybody coming and I went and it was just a rush mistake on my part,” explained Sax.

Sax said someone hit him on his passenger side. He rolled a couple times and ended up in the ditch. He fractured his skull and also suffered a neck injury.

Chanda Van De Vorst – who was killed along with her husband and two children at the same intersection early Sunday morning – helped Sax recover from those injuries.

“She was always very positive and very helpful just doing stretches and helping me work through exercises that would rehabilitate strength,” said Sax.

Sax said he is surprised that not much has been done to make that intersection safer since his accident three years ago.

Sax pointed out his crash is a little different than the one on the weekend. Sax was not impaired, instead in a rush to get to work.

“I’m definitely driving with a lot more caution and a lot more thought about other people on the road as opposed to time or things that I need to be at,” explained Sax. “I can always be late but it really doesn’t matter when it comes to other people’s lives.”

Catherine Loye McKay, 49, faces four counts of impaired driving causing death in the crash that killed the Van De Vorst family. McKay made a court appearance Monday and will be back in court Thursday.