By Canadian Press

Police say fiery collision on major GTA highway leaves 2 dead, shuts down traffic

Jun 21, 2023 | 7:59 AM

TORONTO — 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.

OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt says just before 11 p.m. ET Tuesday, there was a collision involving two transport trucks and a passenger vehicle that resulted in an explosion and fire that consumed all three vehicles.

Schmidt says both drivers of the two transport trucks were found without vital signs and pronounced dead at the scene. 

He says the driver and a passenger in the third vehicle were not injured and were able to escape the explosion and fire. 

The collision has closed down Highway 401 in both directions, between Westney Road in Ajax and Whites Road in Pickering, and police say due to fire damage, it will likely remain closed into the morning rush. 

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Schmidt says commuters should expect a “traffic mess” throughout the crash area all day as drivers are rerouted off the highway to avoid the crash site. 

The cleanup and the investigation into the crash are ongoing and any witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage of the crash is asked to call the provincial police.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 21, 2023.  

The Canadian Press