Roughrider player had alcohol, cannabis in SUV going wrong way before deadly crash

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Dalke, 30, from Leduc, Alta., and the other driver, 22-year-old Bhishma Rajyaguru from Regina, died at the scene on Highway 11 near the town of Lumsden.

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Lumsden’s fire department said it was called to the crash at about 9 p.m. It found one vehicle in the median of the divided highway and the other in a ditch.

It said some motorists stopped and tried to revive one of the men. There were no passengers in the vehicles. RCMP said officers found alcohol and cannabis in the vehicle Dalke was in, and that autopsies and toxicology tests would be done in the investigation.

They added there were no reports of Dalke’s SUV driving erratically before the crash. But there was a call from a gas station.

“We received a report around 8:27 p.m. from a business in Lumsden of a silver SUV leaving without paying for fuel,” said RCMP spokesperson Mandy Maier.

“The investigation has determined this was the same silver SUV that was involved in the collision.”

Dalke, a sixth-round pick in the 2022 CFL draft out of the University of Alberta, appeared in 68 career regular-season games, including all 18 regular-season games for Saskatchewan last year.

Wearing No. 38 in November, he helped the Riders win the 2025 Grey Cup over the Montreal Alouettes in Winnipeg.

“Jayden was a loved teammate,” Roughriders general manager Jeremy O’Day said Monday. “You never left the conversation with Jayden where you didn’t feel happy.

“He loved what he was doing, loved the game of football, loved his teammates.”

Rajyaguru came to Canada from the Indian state of Gujarat as an international student in 2022, said friend Tonish Patel.

He added that Rajyaguru was also a talented musician and enjoyed watching cricket.

“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 said Rajyaguru’s parents are in India and that friends in Regina are raising money to send his body home.

Rajyaguru also died on his father’s birthday, Patel said.

The Gujarati Samaj of Saskatchewan, a charity group for Gujarati immigrants, said in a social media post that the community is saddened by Rajyaguru’s death.

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time,” the post said. “May God grant his soul eternal peace and give his family strength and courage to endure this profound loss.”

Patel said Rajyaguru’s friends are planning to gather soon to commemorate his life.

He said Rajyaguru’s collision with a Roughrider player has been shocking.

Earlier Monday, Roughriders CEO Craig Reynolds said he only learned Dalke was reported to be on the wrong side of the highway with drugs and alcohol in his car when Mounties released the details to the public.

“We still don’t have a lot of information,” Reynolds said. “It’s just an unfortunate tragedy and I’m really sorry for both victims.”

Roughriders head coach Corey Mace was also asked about the circumstances surrounding the crash. He said the issue remains under investigation.

“There’s not going to be kind of any assumptions at this point,” Mace said. “(It’s) just lots of waves of emotion for a lot of people.

“Just sad.”

Black and white photos of Dalke were projected Monday on screens at Regina’s Mosaic Stadium as Roughrider players practised.

A bouquet of flowers was seen at the stadium’s entrance. Some fans watched practice from the stands.

Linebacker Nick Wiebe said he spoke to Dalke hours before the crash. He said Dalke was driving from Edmonton to Regina.

“We said we love each other when we signed off the phone, so the last thing I ever said to him was that I loved him,” Wiebe said.

O’Day said the team plans on holding a tribute for Dalke before the next home game, on Thursday. The Riders host the Edmonton Elks. Players will wear Dalke’s initials on their helmets, he said

“I think the guys were all, in their mind, they felt that Jayden would want us to get back to work,” O’Day said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 20, 2026.

— With files from Fakiha Baig in Edmonton

Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press