American driver charged after Saskatchewan crash kills woman and two children

FOAM LAKE — An American man has been charged after a collision on a rural Saskatchewan road killed a woman and two young girls and sent three others to hospital.

RCMP said they received reports of a collision on a grid road approximately nine kilometres west of Foam Lake shortly after 12:30 p.m. Friday.

"An initial investigation determined a truck was attempting to pass a semi when it collided with an SUV," police said in a press release.

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A 40-year-old woman, an eight-year-old girl and a five-year-old girl, all from Foam Lake, were in the SUV and were declared dead at the scene by EMS.

"The driver of the SUV, a 40-year-old woman, was declared dead at the scene," RCMP said.

An adult man was also in the SUV and was taken to hospital by STARS air ambulance with serious injuries, the release said.

The driver of the truck was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and two passengers were also taken to hospital.

One passenger had non-life-threatening injuries, according to EMS, while the other had serious injuries, according to STARS, the release said.

The semi driver did not report any physical injuries to police and his semi was not damaged.

As a result of the investigation, a 40-year-old man from Sumter, South Carolina was arrested.

RCMP say 40-year-old Kelly Knopf from Sumter, South Carolina, was charged with three counts each of dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death and dangerous operation of a vehicle causing bodily harm.

He is scheduled to appear in Yorkton Provincial Court on Monday.

Wadena/Foam Lake RCMP continue to investigate with the assistance of a Saskatchewan RCMP collision reconstructionist.

Foam Lake is about 150 kilometres northeast of Regina.

With files from CBC News and Global News