An 18-year-old woman is dead after she was struck by a vehicle while working in a construction zone on Highway 39 near Midale Friday.
According to information from Weyburn RCMP, Ashley Richards of Lakeside, N.B. was working as a flag person for a construction company eight miles northwest of Midale when she was hit by a motorist driving an SUV. Richards was transferred to Weyburn General Hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival.
The driver of the SUV, a 44-year-old man, was reportedly arrested at the scene and was held in custody until the following day. No charges had been laid as of press time but the release from the RCMP said they are pending. Once the charges are laid, RCMP say they will release the name of the driver.
Although details are sparse at this point, the RCMP said they received a 911 call at approximately 5:30 Friday afternoon alerting them that the worker, who was on duty at the time of the incident and was in a marked construction zone, was hit by an SUV driving in a northwesterly direction.
Weyburn RCMP are continuing to investigate the collision with the assistance of a traffic re-constructionist. Officials from Occupational Health and Safety and the provincial coroner's office are also assisting the investigation.
The provincial government also issued a press release Monday reminding motorists that the speed limit in a construction zone is 60 km/h and to use caution when driving by workers.
"First and foremost, we want to extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the young woman who died so tragically," Highways and Infrastructure Minister Don McMorris said in the release. "This kind of accident should never happen. All it takes is for drivers to obey the law and slow down - especially in construction zones."
In a separate accident, one person was reported dead following a two-vehicle accident north of Carnduff Monday.
The Carnduff RCMP are reporting that along with the one fatality, the seven other occupants of the vehicles were treated and transported to hospital. The STARS air ambulance was also dispatched to the scene. The investigation into the accident had just begun as of Monday night with the assistance of a reconstruction analyst.
