Man dies near Regina as icy roads lead to rash of roadway collisions

Sanding crews working around clock in effort to ease slippery conditions

REGINA Poor road conditions triggered multiple collisions on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, including a fatal crash just west of Regina.

Overnight freezing rain led to icy conditions throughout much of the southern portion of the province.

Highways were closed due to multiple collisions, while police reported several injuries.

White Butte RCMP responded to a single-vehicle collision about eight kilometres west of Regina at 10 p.m. Tuesday.

They confirmed that a 45-yearold man from Regina was declared dead at the scene. Road conditions are believed to have been a factor. The investigation is ongoing.

Wednesday also saw two semi rollovers west of Regina, closing portions of the Trans-canada Highway. Police said other traffic became stuck or collided while stopping.

The province’s Highway Hotline was still reporting icy and slippery conditions on several highways around Regina as of Wednesday afternoon.

Travel was not recommended on the Trans-canada from Indian Head to Regina.

Between midnight and 5 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, Regina police responded to seven collisions with minor injuries and 43 collisions causing only vehicle or property damage at various locations throughout that city.

City crews fanned out overnight to spread sand over the icy roads. Norman Kyle, Regina’s director of roadways and transportation, said 10 sanders were in operation as of Wednesday, as well as equipment for treating sidewalks and park paths.

“We have shifts working around the clock …” he said.

“We seem to be keeping on top of it. Things as of lunchtime looked much better than this morning.”

The crews were focusing on high-speed roads and arteries that handle a lot of traffic, as well as transit routes.

Kyle could not confirm when they’ll be able to move on to local roads, as it depends on how much more snow falls over the coming hours. He said residents could call Service Regina to report problem spots.

Kyle said that any apparent delays in sanding major roads could be chocked up to rain that continued falling Wednesday morning. He said crews began their work Tuesday night, but soon saw some of their sanding undone.

“The freezing rain was still occurring at five o’clock ( Wednesday) morning, so we couldn’t really get too much ahead of it as it keeps coming down,” he said.

A sand and salt mix is now available for residents to spread on their sidewalk. There are nine sandboxes located throughout the city.

School buses for the public division were active as of Wednesday morning, but faced delays, while other divisions in the province did cancel routes.

Regina Transit was also reporting numerous delays on Wednesday due to road conditions, other motor vehicle accidents, detours and other issues. Residents were encouraged to check transitlive. com for updated information.

Kyle urged drivers to keep a safe distance — about 15 metres — from city vehicles as they continue their work.