Icy roads caused 12 collisions on Hwy 401 within hours, OPP say

Provincial police in eastern Ontario say icy weather conditions resulted in at least a dozen motor vehicle collisions on Highway 401.

Authorities say they responded to 12 incidents in the Kingston area within a period of two hours on Saturday morning.

Minor injuries were reported after some vehicle crashed into ditches and struck highway medians. However, police also reported one fatality in the region.

“The road conditions for traveling are very icy and it’s recommended to avoid travel at this time,” officials said in a social media post. “The safety of emergency crews is at risk every time they have to respond in such dangerous conditions.”

“If you must be on the roads today, adjust your driving,” authorities added. “We have seen heavy, wet snow in some areas, freezing rain in others, and a mix in other areas. This means driving conditions are changeable. The number one piece of advice for those who must be out is SLOW DOWN.”

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for Toronto and most of central and eastern Ontario, including a freezing rain warning in Kingston.

The national weather agency is anticipating a prolonged period of freezing rain with possible ice accumulation reaching 10 to 20 millimetres in some areas. 

It is also warning the public about possible power outages, slippery roads and broken tree branches from the ice build-up

“In general, [less than] 5 mm of freezing rain is not significant, but creates icy roads,” says 680 NewsRadio weather specialist Allister Aalders. “It’s 10 to 30 mm of freezing rain that often leads to more widespread tree and infrastructure damage, with 30+ mm of freezing rain considered destructive.”