By Charlene Tebbutt

Some drivers endangering others working on our roads

Nov 22, 2018 | 5:11 PM

Doug Lapchuk gets choked up as he talks about the dangers facing volunteer emergency responders.

One day after a volunteer firefighter was killed near Rosetown, Lapchuk said emergency responders continue to be at risk from impatient or inattentive drivers. The death Wednesday of 46-year-old Darrell James Morrison, who died after being struck by a semi while responding to a vehicle crash in the area, once again highlights the importance of safety on the road.

Details around what happened near Rosetown have not been released. Lapchuk, president of the Saskatchewan Volunteer Fire Fighters Association and a volunteer for the last 27 years, said emergency responders are often at risk themselves while working to help others.

“A lot of times in rural Saskatchewan, the people on the side of the road are potentially your neighbours or volunteers from the community who have really given of their time to respond to these calls,” Lapchuk said. “And everybody deserves to be able to come home.”

Lapchuk said legislation is in place to curb dangerous driving.

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“People are aware of the laws and the fines,” Lapchuk added. “And for whatever reason, choose to disregard or not have it paramount in their mind.”

Morrison was killed Wednesday while helping at the scene of a two-vehicle collision on Highway 4, about 14 miles north of Rosetown. Randy Fajt, Fire Chief with the volunteer department in Smeaton, said responding to emergency incidents is stressful and close calls are common.

“When we’re there, that person’s having the worst day of their life,” Fajt said. “We’re their lifeline to safety, so it’s up to traffic as a whole, motorists, to pay attention … we don’t really sometimes know what we’re walking into.”

Drivers urged to be cautious and patient

Three minutes and six seconds. That’s how long the lights are timed to change on each side of the construction zone near the Muskoday Bridge on Highway 3. The distance drivers are expected to travel at a slower speed is 1.9 kilometres.

For some, that is too long.

Hurried drivers add to the risks for those working in the construction zone, many of whom hail from the nearby Muskoday First Nation, Kim Deneau told paNOW.

Deneau is a traffic accommodations supervisor with Eiffage, which is helping to direct traffic in the construction area. She said the area sees more than 2,100 vehicles pass through most days and drivers who run the red light risk meeting oncoming traffic inside the construction zone.

“They don’t know when that light is going to change from green to red,” Deneau said. “But it’s a generous space of green, a typical amber light and then a red light (but) people are not observing the rules of the road.”

She said work will continue in the area for another few weeks yet and urges drivers to slow down and obey traffic signs.

“We’re quite aware that people have places to go and things to do,” Deneau added. “If you’re on the ground, and you’re holding that bucket of tools, even though it’s signed down to 50 kilometres, 50 kilometres is very quick when you’re on the ground, and all you have is your own boots to get you away from that speeding vehicle.”

Charlene.tebbutt@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @CharleneTebbutt