At least 20 vehicles involved in 2 serious collisions closing Hwy 401: OPP

Two serious collisions closed a portion of Highway 401 between Lansdowne and Mallorytown Thursday and sent one child to hospital with serious injuries.

OPP East Region spokesperson Bill Dickson told CityNews the incident was initially reported shortly before noon on Jan. 15. It was a busy day for the OPP as 21 cm of snow fell, making road conditions treacherous.

OPP said at least 20 vehicles were involved, but the crashes also created a backlog of drivers stuck behind the mess.

“Hundreds of vehicles have been impacted by the road closure. Dozens of vehicles were stuck in an area on the highway until they could be safely escorted out by the OPP,” Dickson said.

He said it was an all hands on deck situation with all available Leeds County OPP officers attending, as well as officers from adjacent detachments and regional headquarters. But as other collisions were reported, officers were repeatedly pulled from one scene to the next.

One child was transported to hospital with serious injuries. Other injuries were reported. OPP did not have an exact number on those sent to hospital.

Responders continued to work to clear the backlog of vehicles throughout the day.

“The #1 priority is to work with other first responders, both firefighters and paramedics, is to get to the injured people and get them to a safe, warm place,” Dickson said.

The highway reopened around 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 15.