Saskatchewan Roughrider team captain Jayden Dalke was driving on the wrong side of a divided highway with alcohol and cannabis in his SUV at the time of the crash that killed him and another driver, the RCMP say.
The 30-year-old linebacker’s silver SUV crashed into a black SUV driven by 22-year-old Regina resident Bhishma Rajyaguru on Highway 11 just before 9 p.m. on July 18, RCMP spokesperson Mandy Maier told reporters at a press conference this week. Both men died at the scene and were the only victims of the crash.
An investigation carried out by the RCMP determined that Dalke had been driving north in the southbound lane of Highway 11, located between Regina and Lumsden. That stretch of highway is divided, consisting of two lanes for both directions.
Fire crews called to the crash found one vehicle in the median of the divided highway and the other in a ditch, Lumsden’s fire department said. It noted that some motorists stopped and tried to revive one of the men before emergency services arrived on scene.
Maier said it is not known how long Dalke’s vehicle had been travelling in the wrong direction on the highway, because police did not receive any reports of a wrong-way or erratic driver. But there was a call from a gas station about stolen gas, she said.
“We received a report around 8:27 p.m. from a business in Lumsden of a silver SUV leaving without paying for fuel,” Maier said during the July 20 press conference. “The investigation has determined this was the same silver SUV that was involved in the collision.”
Officers also found alcohol and cannabis in the vehicle Dalke was in, she said, adding that autopsies and toxicology tests would be done as part of the investigation.
Maier did not say how long it would take for the Saskatchewan Coroner’s Service to complete the autopsy and testing, but noted the circumstances of the crash could remain under investigation for some time.
“There’s a lot we can’t say right now,” Maier said. “Collision reconstruction investigations take months to complete.”
Roughriders CEO Craig Reynolds told reporters during a separate press conference that he only learned Dalke was reported to have drugs and alcohol in his car when the RCMP released the details to the public.
Roughriders head coach Corey Mace, who was also at the press conference, said the team still has very little information about the crash.
“There’s not going to be… any assumptions at this point,” Mace said. “[It’s] just lots of waves of emotion for a lot of people.”
Maier said since both people involved in the crash died and there will be no legal proceedings, some questions may never be answered, but she urged people to show kindness in their online comments and show compassion to the grieving families of both young men.
“There’s a lot of people who are hurting right now,” Maier said.
Crash Victims Remembered
Dalke was selected in the sixth round of the 2022 CFL draft from the University of Alberta. The Leduc, Alta., native has participated in 68 career regular-season games, including all 18 regular-season games for Saskatchewan last year. He also helped the Riders win the 2025 Grey Cup over the Montreal Alouettes in Winnipeg.CFL Commissioner Stewart Johnston described Dalke as a “passionate competitor who played with incredible heart.”
“Jayden’s determination, toughness and work ethic inspired his teammates, who cared deeply for him and are heartbroken by his passing,” the team said. “Jayden had a unique gift of making the people around him feel special and valued. No one ever left a conversation with him without a smile. On and off the field, he was the true definition of what it means to be a Saskatchewan Roughrider.”
Rajyaguru came to Canada from the Indian state of Gujarat as an international student in 2022.
“My heartfelt condolences are with his family, friends, and everyone who knew and loved him,” he wrote. “Bhishma’s parents, who are in India, are now facing the unimaginable task of bringing their son home so they can lay him to rest.”
His friends described him as a man with “big dreams and an even bigger heart” who loved music.
“To know him was to know kindness, loyalty, and an infectious love for life,” they wrote. “His future was incredibly bright, and his absence leaves a void that words simply cannot describe.”
