Maidstone RCMP say the multi-vehicle collision on Highway 16 early Wednesday morning was a fatal one. Officers were alerted about 5:30 in the morning about smoke from a controlled burn causing a traffic hazard on the highway near Marshall, then received a second call about a multi-vehicle accident in the same area. Responding officers described the smoke as very thick, with zero visibility on the roads.

It was a four-vehicle accident involving three semis and a half ton truck, which had all been heading west on Highway 16. The driver and lone occupant of the half ton, a 63-year-old man, was declared dead by EMS. An autopsy has been ordered. The highway was closed in both directions for about 12 hours.

Investigative units and emergency responders who attended include: an RCMP Collision Reconstructionist, the Saskatchewan Coroners Service, Maidstone EMS, the Provincial Response Team (PRT), and Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Management (SERM). Saskatchewan Highway Patrol, Lloydminster RCMP and Wilton Police Service also assisted with re-routing traffic and maintaining safety on the roads.