Roughriders Captain Jayden Dalke Killed Driving Wrong Way on Highway With Alcohol, Cannabis in SUV

Two men dead after wrong-way collision on Highway 11

Saskatchewan Roughriders captain Jayden Dalke, 30, and Regina resident Bhishma Rajyaguru, 22, were both killed Saturday night in a head-on collision on Highway 11 between Lumsden and Regina, according to Saskatchewan RCMP. Both drivers died at the scene.

RCMP spokesperson Mandy Maier told reporters at a news conference Monday that Dalke's silver SUV was traveling northbound in the southbound lane when it struck Rajyaguru's black SUV. Investigators found alcohol and cannabis inside Dalke's vehicle, though Maier said RCMP have not specified quantities or whether any containers were open, according to Global News.

The crash happened around 9 p.m., according to Lumsden's fire department, which responded to find one vehicle in the highway median and the other in a ditch. Sportsnet reported that some passing motorists stopped and attempted to revive one of the men. Neither vehicle carried passengers.

The gas station tip

About a half hour before the crash, RCMP received a report that a silver SUV had left a Lumsden gas station without paying for fuel. Maier confirmed at Monday's briefing that it was the same vehicle Dalke was driving when the collision occurred, a detail reported consistently by the New York Post, Sportsnet, Global News and NBC Sports.

Maier said RCMP received no reports of erratic or wrong-way driving in the area before the crash itself. It remains unclear how long Dalke's SUV was traveling in the wrong lane, and why no one reported it before impact.

Autopsies and toxicology testing have been ordered for both drivers. Maier told reporters that collision reconstruction investigations typically take months and she could not estimate when results, including toxicology findings, would be completed or made public.

No charges have been filed. No determination of fault has been announced. Wrong-way travel, substances present in the vehicle, and the unpaid gas station stop are what RCMP have confirmed on the record. Information about impairment levels or precise cause remains pending formal test results.

Who Rajyaguru was

Bhishma Rajyaguru moved to Canada from Gujarat, India in April 2022 as an international student, according to a GoFundMe campaign organized to return his remains to his family. His friend Tonish Patel told Sportsnet that Rajyaguru was a talented musician who loved watching cricket and regularly showed up to support friends playing sports.

"His friends used to play, and he always came on the ground to support us," Patel said. "[He was] a really nice person, really polite. He was thankful, helpful to everyone."

Patel noted the grim coincidence that Rajyaguru died on his own father's birthday. His parents remain in India. As of Global News' reporting, the GoFundMe campaign had raised more than $75,000 to help send his body home. The Gujarati Samaj of Saskatchewan, a charity serving Gujarati immigrants in the province, posted condolences on social media, asking for strength for his family "to endure this profound loss."

Who Dalke was

Dalke, born in Leduc, Alberta, played for the Edmonton Huskies and University of Alberta Golden Bears before Saskatchewan drafted him 54th overall in the sixth round of the 2022 CFL draft. He appeared in 68 career regular-season games and started all 18 for the Roughriders last season.

He was returning to Regina from Leduc, where he'd spent the team's bye week, when the crash occurred, according to the New York Post.

Last November, Dalke helped Saskatchewan beat the Montreal Alouettes 25-17 in Winnipeg to win the 2025 Grey Cup, the franchise's fifth championship. Roughriders general manager Jeremy O'Day told reporters Monday that head coach Corey Mace personally informed the team of Dalke's death.

"You never left a conversation with Jayden where you didn't feel happy, positive," O'Day said, according to Global News. "[He was] someone that was always smiling, never had a bad day."

The CFL issued a statement Monday calling Dalke "a passionate competitor who played with incredible heart" and extending condolences to his family, the Roughriders organization and "the entire Canadian football community."

What happens now

O'Day said the team considered postponing upcoming games but decided to play through the schedule, framing it as part of the grieving process for players who want to be together. Lumsden RCMP continues to investigate. Toxicology and autopsy results, once completed, will determine whether impairment played a confirmed role in the crash. Maier gave no timeline for when, or whether, those findings will be released publicly.