The morning commute ground to a halt on Highway 401 in Mississauga Friday, as a dramatic collision involving a tractor-trailer shut down a vital stretch of the eastbound express lanes.
Just east of Winston Churchill Boulevard, around 6:00 AM, a passenger vehicle unexpectedly entered the express lanes, setting off a chain of events that would disrupt thousands of travelers.
The sudden maneuver placed the car directly in the path of an oncoming tractor-trailer. The impact sent the larger vehicle careening out of control, ultimately slamming into the highway’s concrete median.
The force of the collision was immense. Fragments of the concrete median shattered and scattered, raining debris across both the eastbound and westbound lanes.
Westbound drivers faced a terrifying gauntlet of flying concrete. A total of six vehicles sustained damage from the wreckage, their bodies and windshields bearing the brunt of the impact.
Remarkably, despite the chaos and destruction, no one traveling westbound suffered serious injuries. The damage to their vehicles, however, was substantial.
The 45-year-old driver of the passenger vehicle has been charged with careless driving. He was transported to a hospital with minor injuries sustained in the crash.
Authorities confirmed no other injuries were reported. Cleanup crews worked for several hours to clear the debris and repair the damaged median, finally reopening all lanes to traffic.
Investigators noted the road conditions were wet and dark at the time of the incident, but emphasized that such a collision should have been avoidable. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance and safe driving practices.
