'Take a second to think,' man injured in previous Sask. crash warns after latest highway fatality
Reminders for drivers to slow down come in wake of volunteer firefighter's death
Samuel Fetherston has a message for drivers in Saskatchewan.
At 21, he was working as a flag person near Spalding, Sask., when he was struck by a truck in a collision that killed three teens.
Now living in B.C., Fetherston remains off work, still suffering from chronic shoulder pain after dealing with mental trauma, he says.
"Maybe take a second to think about what a small accident could cause somebody else's life and their family's lives," he said.
Firefighter struck by passing semi
Messages of caution have been delivered to drivers after news that a volunteer firefighter died after being struck by a passing semi on a Saskatchewan highway earlier this week.
Darrell James Morrison, 46, was one of the first responders to the scene of an accident where two semis collided about 20 kilometres north of Rosetown on Highway 4.
RCMP said that while helping at the site of the collision, Morrison was struck by another semi which was passing on the highway.
The minister responsible for Saskatchewan Government Insurance called it "extremely tragic" and issued a stark reminder for residents.
'Drive slow,' SGI minister urges
"Drive slow, people," said Joe Hargrave.
"We can do everything. We can put legislation in, we can make the fines heavy, we can do all that stuff, but it's up to people to be responsible. Think about it."
It's the law for drivers passing emergency vehicles stopped on the highway with flashing lights to slow down to 60 km/h.
"Remember that 60 kilometres per hour on the highways is for ideal conditions," says SGI spokesperson Tyler McMurchy. Drivers who encounter low visibility or slippery roads should slow down even more.
He also said it takes longer for semi trucks to slow down.
Drivers exceeding the 60 km/h passing rule face fines. McMurchy said driving 100 km/h in those circumstances could lead to a $570 fine.
Driver training announcement coming soon
SGI reports that in 2017, there were 12 collision on Saskatchewan highways involving pedestrians. From 2013 to 2017, 39 pedestrians were killed in highway collisions.
Hargrave noted the government is close to announcing changes to commercial driver training in Saskatchewan.
Susan Ewart, executive director of the Saskatchewan Trucking Association, welcomes the impending changes.
She acknowledged the industry has come under scrutiny this year. In April, 16 people were killed and 13 were injured after a bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team and a transport truck collided.
The 29-year-old driver of the truck is facing 16 counts of dangerous driving causing death and 13 counts of dangerous driving causing bodily injury in connection with the April 6 crash.
Ewart said in the wake of Wednesday's fatal collision, people may assume the truck driver is responsible, but she says many drivers on the roads operate safely.