Dave Deibert
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
The families of two men are awaiting toxicology reports after a fatal collision in which a vehicle driven by a Saskatchewan Roughriders captain was travelling erratically on the wrong side of the highway.
Jayden Dalke, a five-year veteran with the Roughriders, died Saturday in the two-vehicle collision just hours before he was scheduled to resume practising with the CFL team.
According to Saskatchewan RCMP, members of the Lumsden detachment, along with local fire and EMS crews, responded Saturday around 9 p.m. to a report of a collision on Highway 11 between a silver SUV and a black SUV.
RCMP spokeswoman Mandy Meier said the silver SUV — driven by Dalke — was travelling northbound in the southbound lane when the collision occurred.
“Officers located alcohol and cannabis in the silver SUV. Autopsies and toxicology will be conducted as part of the ongoing investigation,” RCMP said in a statement.
According to Maier, RCMP had received a report about the silver SUV being driven “erratically.” A Lumsden business also reported that the driver of the silver SUV had filled up at a gas station and left without paying, Maier said.
The driver of the black SUV was identified as Bhishma Rajyaguru, a 22-year-old man from Regina. There were no drugs or alcohol in Rajyaguru’s vehicle, Maier said Monday at a press conference.
A GoFundMe created in Rajyaguru’s name describes him as “a beautiful soul, a best friend, and a beacon of light” who died in a “senseless tragedy.”
Bhishma Rajyaguru of Regina was also killed in the crash on Sunday
Rajyaguru came to Canada in April 2022 from India. According to the GoFundMe, he was “a deeply responsible son, an honest friend, and a truly talented, passionate musician who filled our lives with melody and joy. To know him was to know kindness, loyalty, and an infectious love for life.”
The GoFundMe was created to help cover the costs of transporting his body back to India.
“His parents in India are currently facing the nightmare that no parent should ever have to endure: the loss of their child,” the GoFundMe reads.
Each man was the lone occupant in their respective vehicle, according to RCMP.
Lumsden RCMP and a Saskatchewan RCMP collision reconstructionist are continuing to investigate the fatal collision.
Maier said there was no confirmed timeline for when the toxicology report or the reconstruction report will be released.
Roughriders president Craig Reynolds called the incident a “terrible tragedy.”
“My condolences to Jayden’s family and obviously the other victim’s family,” Reynolds said.
“It’s just an unfortunate tragedy and we’re really sorry for both victims.”
Reynolds said the details of the RCMP investigation did not change the fact that the club — and those inside of it — are mourning the death of someone they cared greatly for.
“We lost a member of our organization, a beloved teammate, somebody that meant a lot to us in our organization,” Reynolds said.
“It’s been a tough 24 hours for our team … It’s tough for everybody.”
Roughriders general manager Jeremy O’Day at a press conference on Monday morning — held approximately one hour before RCMP publicly released an update on the investigation — said Dalke “was a loved teammate by, obviously, all of his teammates in the building, but also from his teammates that he played with in junior football at Alberta and then obviously here. Loved by all his coaches. Loved by all his staff.
“In football, he was tough and reliable. Accountable. Never wanted to let anyone down.”
The death of Dalke left his teammates stunned in the immediate aftermath.
“Doesn’t feel real, man,” Roughriders quarterback Tommy Stevens wrote in a social media post on Sunday.
“Dalke was the best teammate and the best friend a guy could ever ask for.”
The Roughriders in a statement mourned the death of Dalke, and said the club expressed “profound sadness” over the car accident.
Dalke, 30, grew up in Leduc, Alta., where he played amateur football before joining the University of Alberta Golden Bears and twice earning All-Canadian status.
Dalke was a sixth-round selection in the CFL’s 2022 draft who became a safety before being converted into a linebacker. At 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, he was also a physical presence on special teams.
“Our hearts go out to the entire Dalke family, who traveled the country to watch Jayden live his dream,” the team said.
Dalke played 68 regular-season games, recording 69 defensive tackles and 31 special-teams tackles, as well as one sack, one interception and three forced fumbles. Dalke was on Saskatchewan’s roster when the Roughriders defeated the Montreal Alouettes 25-17 in the 2025 Grey Cup.
The Roughriders cancelled their Sunday morning practice, when players were expected to return from a CFL bye week. After defeating the visiting Hamilton Tiger-Cats 38-7 on July 12, the Roughriders are slated to play host to the Edmonton Elks on Thursday.
Before Sunday’s game in Ottawa against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the Redblacks had a moment of silence in Dalke’s honour. Former Riders teammates A.J. Allen, C.J. Reavis and Tommy Nield were shown on the TSN telecast.
— With files from the Regina Leader-Post’s Florence Hwang and Darrell Davis
ddeibert@postmedia.com
