The train was locked still near the FFun Motor Sports building near Yorkton. A tipped-over snowmobile laid on the tracks while a second one was pushed to the side. A pair of riders were splayed on the snow next to their machines.
One was nursing injuries and shock, screaming for her friend; the other one was unconscious.
A crowd gathered around the accident, taking photos and videos. Train operators, police officers, firefighters, and EMS workers arrived at the scene, helping the victims and securing the area. The riders were eventually stretchered into the ambulances.
With that, the demonstration was over.
The crash was a simulation of what happens when snowmobilers are blindsided by oncoming trains. Every year, dozens of Canadians are killed or injured due to unsafe behaviour around train tracks. As Constable Brad Bidulka reminded the audience, it’s an important issue.
“It only takes one [collision] to make it a priority in the public’s eye,” he said.
Operation Lifesaver’s Saskatchewan Committee (OLSC) organized the re-enactment on Feb. 22. They partnered with Yorkton RCMP, Yorkton Sno-Riders, Saskatchewan Public Safety, and other groups.
“This presentation is for everyone to enjoy and take something educational from,” Const. Bidulka told the crowd.
Jason Popowich was in the audience. His two daughters acted as the injured riders.
“We were approached by the organizers...to participate,” he said. “We were certainly willing to...bring awareness to rail-safety crossing involving snowmobiles.”
As club president of Yorkton Sno-Riders, Popowich understands how vital alertness can be for riders.
“A lot of our trails in and around the Yorkton area [run through] rail crossings,” he said.
At the demonstration, OLSC launched a virtual-reality rail-safety video. It immersed the viewer in the perspective of a rider involved in a train collision.
Popowich hopes the event encourages riders to be safe while they’re ploughing their the Saskatchewan trails.
“[The demonstration] brings some awareness and...helps eliminate any possible accidents in the future,” he said.
