Sask. driver recounts close call after road collapse on Highway 335

Flooding across the province led to a close call for one man and his passenger, after Highway 335 collapes because of excess water. Hallee Mandryk reports.

A Saskatchewan man is warning drivers to use caution on flooded roadways after his vehicle plunged into a washed-out section of Highway 335 late Saturday night.

Shortly before midnight, Austin Martiniuk was driving home from a wrestling show when his vehicle suddenly dropped into a large hole caused by a collapsed roadway and rising floodwaters.

“I felt a big smash because I went off into the ditch. And that’s when I looked over at my buddy Rob, trying to make sure that he’s okay, I opened up my door and I see nothing but flood water going straight down, so we had to get out right away,” Martiniuk said.

At the time of the incident, Highway 335 remained open, although signage warned drivers of partial roadway damage.

Martiniuk and his passenger quickly got out of the vehicle as water rushed inside, leaving behind most of their belongings, including their phones.

“By the time I was getting my stuff out of the backseat, I noticed that, the driver’s side was starting to flood with water. And that’s when I thought, this is too dangerous, [I] can’t get anything else, just get out of Dodge,” he said.

Claude Cusson, manager of the wrestling company, was travelling behind Martiniuk and witnessed the crash unfold.

“We were going and going and going and then [I] s lammed the brakes...and all of a sudden, I saw Austin walking in the water that [was] right to his knees....everybody was shaken up,” he said.

Cusson then had to carefully navigate his truck and trailer through the flooded roadway before warning other drivers to reroute around the dangerous conditions.

“I didn’t know where the water starts, where it ends. So I’m driving slow in the water becasue I asked Austin...[he said] staying in the middle seems to be okay so I turn on my four wheel drive and tell me wife to [put on] her seatbelt because the current was so strong, it wasn’t even funny,” Cusson said.

Cusson said he called 911 and stayed with the group until police arrived.

Martiniuk said he escaped the incident with only a minor knee injury, but admitted the seriousness of the situation did not fully sink in until later.

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“I didn’t have time to think about it, [it was] just all pure reaction. And it didn’t really hit me until last night because I sent pictures to my friends [and] family, let them know what happened,” he said.

“If we would have went like a foot or two further, we would have been fully in the ditch and we wouldn’t have been able to open the doors and we would’ve been stuck.”

Flooding has forced closures on several Saskatchewan highways in recent days. The Ministry of Highways confirmed Highway 335 west of its junction with Highway 35 has been closed since Saturday night.

Highways Minister Kim Gartner said crews are working around the clock to keep drivers safe.

“We do have barricades up, we have flag persons out on the highways as well, directing motorists through the night hours, some of them are working 24/7 trying to make sure all of our motorists are safe,” Gartner said Tuesday.

Martiniuk said he hopes his experience serves as a warning to other drivers during spring flooding conditions.

“I had my high beams on, but even then, the dark country roads, even with the high beams on, you can’t tell what’s water with solid until it’s too late,” Martiniuk said.

He also urged motorists to check road conditions before travelling even of the roads are fine.

“Always take the extra couple seconds just to check,” he said.