Chain reaction causes backup on Idylwyld

Things got a little wild on Saskatoon’s Idylwyld Drive on Friday afternoon.

A police vehicle with its lights on appeared to be responding to a crash on Idylwyld heading northbound, leading to significant traffic delays along the freeway just after 1 p.m.

Brad Jennings, who works in public relations with the Saskatoon Police Service, said police were initially responding to a two-vehicle collision.

The disruption led to a chain reaction of vehicles stopping on the freeway before the Sid Buckwold Bridge.

Police received their first call about the incident around 12:55 p.m. and “it just sort of escalated from there,” Jennings said.

Police and emergency vehicles responded quickly, working their way through the traffic to assist a number of vehicles involved in accidents and stranded in the ditch. Police officers were walking on foot between the vehicles to help direct traffic.

(Dallas Dahlseide/650 CKOM)

Jennings said at least eight vehicles were in the ditch as a result of the backup. He said police were asking people to slow down as they made their way through the area.

Traffic was moving again in the area, but was slowly going around a bus that appeared to be involved in a collision on the road and vehicles still in the median. Police said they were rerouting traffic in the area.

Police couldn’t confirm whether any injuries occurred as a result of the incident.

Vehicles were backed up as far as Ruth Street. The incident appeared mostly resolved as of 2:10 p.m.

Police said they had received reports of 20 collisions around the city as of 1:45 p.m.