Two dead after truck and van collide on Highway 4 on Tuesday

Two people are dead after a truck and a van collided on Highway 4 near Lac Pelletier on Tuesday.

According to the RCMP, officers from the Swift Current detachment were called to the scene shortly after 8 p.m.

The drivers of both vehicles were declared dead at the scene by paramedics, the RCMP said. The driver of the truck was an 82-year-old man from Neville, while the driver of the van was a 35-year-old man from Cadillac. Both families have been notified of the deaths, the Mounties added.

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One passenger in the truck was taken to hospital for treatment, and the RCMP said their injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.

Highway 4 was closed during the police investigation after the crash. The highway has since reopened, but the Mounties said the investigation has not yet concluded.

According to the Saskatchewan RCMP, the province has seen an “exponential” rise in the number of fatal crashes on highways in recent months.

According to the Mounties, between Sept. 1 and Oct. 25, there were 22 fatal collisions on the Saskatchewan highways, leading to 26 deaths in the jurisdiction of the Saskatchewan RCMP. Those deaths included 14 drivers, nine passengers and three pedestrians.

“Yes, the number of fatal collisions increased exponentially in recent weeks and yes, we are concerned,” Supt. Grant St. Germaine, who leads Saskatchewan RCMP Traffic Services, said in a statement issued late last month.