RCMP say Saskatchewan Roughriders’ Jayden Dalke was driving wrong way, alcohol and cannabis found in vehicle after fatal crash
New information released by the Saskatchewan RCMP has shed more light on the fatal crash that claimed the life of Saskatchewan Roughriders linebacker and team captain Jayden Dalke, while also taking the life of 22-year-old Bhishma Rajyaguru on Highway 11 near Lumsden, Saskatchewan, on Saturday night.
Police said Monday that Dalke was driving northbound in the southbound lanes of the divided highway when the head-on collision occurred around 9 p.m. Both drivers, who were the sole occupants of their vehicles, were pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigation continues
According to the RCMP, officers located alcohol and cannabis inside the silver SUV driven by Dalke following the crash. Police emphasized that autopsies and toxicology testing will be conducted as part of the ongoing investigation and have not released any conclusions regarding impairment.
Investigators also revealed they received a report at approximately 8:27 p.m. of a silver SUV leaving a business in Lumsden without paying for fuel. The RCMP later determined it was the same vehicle involved in the collision.
Authorities said they did not receive any reports of a vehicle traveling the wrong way on Highway 11 before the crash.
Questions may remain unanswered
Speaking Monday, RCMP director of strategic communications Mandy Maier acknowledged the intense public interest surrounding the case while cautioning against speculation as the investigation continues.
Maier noted that because both drivers died in the collision, there will be no criminal court process and additional public updates may be limited. She added that some information may only be shared privately with the families involved.
“We may never know the answers to many of the questions that we all have,” Maier said, emphasizing that multiple families and communities are grieving.
Football community continues to mourn
Dalke, 30, had recently returned to the Roughriders lineup after recovering from a hand injury. He appeared in two games this season after playing all 18 regular-season games in 2025, when he recorded three defensive tackles and 13 special teams tackles.
Originally selected by Saskatchewan in the sixth round of the 2022 CFL Draft, Dalke played 68 regular-season CFL games, compiling 69 defensive tackles, 31 special teams tackles, three forced fumbles, one sack and one interception.
Before turning professional, the University of Alberta standout earned first-team Canada West all-star honors twice and was named a first-team U Sports All-Canadian in 2019.
Support for Rajyaguru’s family
As tributes continue for Dalke, support has also poured in for Rajyaguru’s family.
A GoFundMe campaign established to help return Rajyaguru’s remains to India surpassed its original fundraising goal. Friends and family remembered him as a kind, loyal and talented musician whose future was filled with promise.
While investigators continue their work, the tragedy has left two families, two communities and the broader Canadian football world mourning an immeasurable loss.
