A sudden collision brought Highway 401 to a standstill Wednesday morning, creating a frustrating bottleneck for commuters traveling into the city from Durham Region. The incident, a major disruption to the usual flow, unfolded near Morningside Road, instantly transforming the highway into a scene of flashing lights and halted traffic.
Ontario Provincial Police swiftly responded, closing the westbound express lanes at Brock Road in Pickering. Emergency services converged on the location, working to assess the situation and begin the complex process of clearing the roadway. The initial reports painted a picture of significant disruption, with no immediate estimate for reopening.
Authorities urged drivers to steer clear of the area, recommending alternate routes to bypass the extensive delays. The closure was predicted to last for a considerable duration, adding to the stress of the morning commute. This incident arrived on the heels of another major disruption just days prior.
Last Friday, a separate collision involving a transport truck caused significant closures on the eastbound lanes, impacting those heading into the city from Peel Region. A tractor-trailer had jack-knifed, violently impacting a concrete median east of Winston Churchill Boulevard in Mississauga.
Debris from the truck scattered across the highway, even reaching into the westbound lanes and damaging six vehicles. Fortunately, despite the chaos and damage, no one sustained injuries in that incident. The driver of the passenger vehicle involved was later charged with careless driving.
The 45-year-old driver from Georgetown faced charges related to the Friday morning collision, sustaining only minor injuries himself. As crews worked to clear the wreckage from both incidents, the highway system braced for continued congestion and the ripple effects of these unexpected disruptions.
