GRAND COULEE – This weekend, a semi collided with a police vehicle on Highway 1, nearly hitting a police officer conducting a traffic stop.
On Feb. 28 at approximately 3:45 p.m., a Saskatchewan RCMP police officer was conducting a traffic stop in the eastbound lane of Highway 1, near Grand Coulee, Sask.
Following the traffic stop, the officer was walking back to his vehicle when he saw a semi headed directly towards him. The semi was driving at highway speeds and was not moving into the passing lane. To avoid being hit, the officer ran towards the ditch, entering the ditch at approximately the same time the semi collided with the parked police vehicle. The police vehicle was significantly damaged. The police officer was not physically injured.
At the time of the collision, the police vehicle’s emergency lights were activated, the officer was in his full working uniform, and the police vehicle was parked in the right manner to conduct a traffic stop safely.
Following the collision, the semi came to a stop, remaining at the scene of the collision. The driver did not report injuries to police. The driver was issued two tickets: one for driving without due care and attention and one for driving without reasonable consideration for others.
“Had this incident happened only moments earlier, the outcome could have been far more tragic, which is a terrifying thought,” said S/Sgt. Jason Sauve, a police officer with Saskatchewan RCMP Traffic Services, in the news release. “It is crucial that drivers remember to slow down to 60 km/hr when passing emergency vehicles that have their lights activated, such as EMS, fire, and police vehicles, as well as tow trucks, and highway workers. Whenever possible, move into the passing lane to give first responders as much room as you can to do their work safely. Remember that abiding by these laws and guidelines may be the difference in whether or not a first responder makes it home to their family at the end of their shift.”
