Ontario Provincial Police say a multi-vehicle collision has left two people dead and sparked a massive fireball on Highway 401, at Brock Road in Pickering, east of Toronto.John Hanley/The Globe and Mail
Ontario Provincial Police say a multi-vehicle collision left two people dead and sparked a massive fireball on Highway 401 east of Toronto late Tuesday.
OPP Sergeant Kerry Schmidt said there was a collision involving two transport trucks and a passenger vehicle on a part of the highway going through Pickering, Ont., which resulted in an explosion and fire that consumed all three vehicles
Sgt. Schmidt said the drivers of both transport trucks were pronounced dead at the scene.
He said the driver and a passenger in the third vehicle were not injured and were able to escape the explosion and fire.
The collision, which took place just before 11 p.m., closed down Highway 401 in both directions, between Westney Road in Ajax and Whites Road in Pickering, and police said the area was likely to remain closed through the morning rush.
Commuters should expect a “traffic mess” throughout the crash area all day as drivers are rerouted off the highway to avoid the crash site, said Sgt. Schmidt.
“Anyone travelling to that area is advised to avoid it,” he said. “Traffic will be heavy this morning.”
The cleanup and the investigation into the crash are continuing, and any witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage of the crash is asked to contact provincial police.