A fatal collision on Highway 401 near Pickering has left one person dead and sparked charges against a 41-year-old driver whose pickup truck was travelling in the wrong direction early Sunday morning.
Ontario Provincial Police responded to the initial crash around 2:40 a.m. in the eastbound lanes of Highway 401 near Westney Road. The pickup truck was moving westbound — directly against traffic — when it collided head-on with a passenger vehicle, according to OPP spokesperson Taylor Konkle.
The driver of the passenger vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene. The pickup truck driver sustained only minor injuries and was transported to hospital for treatment.
Impaired Operation and Dangerous Driving Charges
By Sunday afternoon, the 41-year-old pickup truck driver was charged with dangerous and impaired operation causing death — one of the most serious driving offences in Canada. The charges carry potential prison sentences of up to 14 years.
The collision triggered emergency road closures and investigations that would continue throughout the morning, complicating an already chaotic scene on one of Canada's busiest highways.
Second Crash Complicates Emergency Response
The situation deteriorated further when a second crash struck the same area approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes later at 4:25 a.m.
While OPP officers were establishing road closures to manage the initial investigation, a passenger vehicle drove through protective barricades and collided with the rear of a police cruiser. Two police officers were transported to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the passenger vehicle sustained minor injuries.
According to the Special Investigations Unit, a provincial police watchdog, a police cruiser was positioned on the inside left lane with a Ministry of Transportation truck in the centre lane. Road barricades were set up at an angle behind these vehicles to divert eastbound traffic onto Brock Road — yet the eastbound vehicle bypassed the barriers and struck the cruiser.
Investigation and Road Reopening
The SIU confirmed that both officers were later released from hospital after treatment. All eastbound lanes of Highway 401 at Whites Road were initially closed for investigation but have since reopened to traffic.
The Special Investigations Unit is continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the second collision and the serious injuries sustained.
This story is based on reporting from CBC News and information released by Ontario Provincial Police and the Special Investigations Unit.