Ontario Provincial Police say as many as 50 vehicles were involved in a series of collisions that forced the closure of large sections of Highway 401 in eastern Ontario on Tuesday, as snow squalls and poor visibility created dangerous driving conditions.
While westbound lanes of the highway have since reopened, eastbound lanes remained closed into Tuesday evening between Brighton and Belleville as police and road crews continued cleanup and investigation efforts.
The first reports of crashes came in shortly after 8:30 a.m., when multiple collisions were reported along a roughly 2.5-kilometre stretch of eastbound Highway 401 in the Quinte West area. As the day unfolded, police confirmed additional crashes and lane closures across nearly 100 kilometres of highway between Brighton and Odessa.
OPP said there were no fatal or life-threatening injuries. However, three to four people were taken to hospital as a precaution. In one dramatic incident, officers pulled a woman from her vehicle moments before it caught fire. Images released by police show the burned-out vehicle covered in spinach, believed to have spilled from a nearby tractor trailer involved in the crash.
By 7 p.m., eastbound lanes remained shut down between County Road 30 in Brighton and Wallbridge Loyalist Road in Belleville. Westbound lanes, which had been closed for several hours between Trenton and Belleville, reopened around 3:15 p.m.
OPP Sgt. Erin Cranton urged drivers to take winter conditions seriously, emphasizing that speed and following distance play a critical role during snow squalls.
“This is a clear reminder of how important it is to slow down and leave space between vehicles,” Cranton said in a video posted to social media.
Environment Canada had issued a snow squall warning for the region, forecasting blowing snow and near-zero visibility. The Ministry of Transportation reported snow-covered lanes and rapidly deteriorating conditions along the corridor between Quinte West and Napanee, prompting police to issue travel advisories for roads east of Trenton.
As vehicles became stranded, emergency crews moved along the highway checking on motorists. Buses were dispatched to transport people to a warming centre at the Trenton Arena, while tow trucks worked to clear drivable vehicles from the roadway.
Police warned drivers to expect extended closures as cleanup continued.
“Public safety remains our top priority,” OPP said in a statement, adding that crews were working as quickly as possible despite the challenging weather.
The highway closures come just one day after a separate winter storm resulted in more than 100 collisions across eastern Ontario. Belleville alone recorded about 35 centimetres of snow on Monday, with an additional five to 10 centimetres falling Tuesday due to squalls.
