Serious collisions close part of Hwy. 401 in eastern Ontario

A pair of serious collisions closed a stretch of Highway 401 eastbound between Lansdowne and Mallorytown, Ont. on Thursday, and injured at least one person.

A heavy snowstorm is blowing across eastern Ontario, leading to treacherous road conditions. Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said officers responded to dozens of collisions across the region since 5 a.m.

Two collisions involving multiple vehicles were reported on the 401 between Reynolds Road in Lansdowne and Mallorytown Road in Mallorytown. The OPP said all lanes of Hwy. 401 reopened late Thursday night.

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One child was transported to the hospital with serious injuries, police said. Several other people had minor injuries.

OPP spokesperson Bill Dickson said approximately 20 vehicles were involved.

“Add on to that, all of the vehicles that are trapped between the two collisions in the eastbound lanes and the people who are in the backup behind that, so we’re dealing with a lot of people impacted,” he said in an interview with CTV News Ottawa.

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Dickson says people should avoid unnecessary travel.

“We know that some people do have to travel, but some still choose to go out, and those who choose to go out, a lot of them aren’t adjusting their driving. They’re still driving like it’s the middle of July,” he said. “The results of that is cars going into ditches or, worse than that, we see some serious collisions.”

In a post on social media, the OPP said officers have finished clearing a backlog of vehicles at Reynolds Road and are continuing to clear other vehicles from the area that were not involved in the collisions.

“Expect the eastbound lanes to be closed for an extended period for the investigation and removal of damaged vehicles,” the OPP said on X.

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