Whig-Standard Managing Editor Mike Beaudin is reporting from a multi-vehicle crash involving trucks and cars that happened on Hwy. 401 this morning. I counted about 75 vehicles in a scene of carnage stretching about 500 metres along the highway. There were at least 35 semi-trailers involved. Some had rolled into the ditch and overturned. One truck cab was totally crushed. A small car was burnt out. Emergency crews were trying to free people trapped inside one car. There are reports of serious injuries and perhaps fatalities but nothing has been confirmed. Twisted metal, fire extinguishers, dumped cargo and other parts were everywhere. One trucker, an eyewitness to the start of the chain of events, said the truck in front of him jackknifed and rolled into the ditch. “He told me he thought he was going to die,” said the trucker. “They got him out of there but I don’t know how bad he was. I just managed to hit my brakes and stopped just short of him. “I’ve been driving this highway for 25 years and this is the worst I’ve ever seen. The chain reaction caused other collisions that stretched about a kilometer west of the main accident scene. Seven trucks slid off the road or into each other in the other crash. Minor damage and no injuries were involved in that crash. The highway where it happened was glare ice beneath a thin covering of snow. There were whiteout conditions at the time but many vehicles – some of those now in the crash – passed other vehicles even though the passing lane was covered in snow. Emergency vehicles are on scene. Traffic is moving in the westbound lane. Tow trucks are moving in to clear the scene but it’s a major job. More to come. Check these videos of the scene: video.videolicious/63985dbe-caa1-4396-9865-5c52aa60ac5d video.videolicious/a4cb01de-2a4d-4183-9f0a-9c5a3946bb86
Posted on: Wed, 29 Jan 2014 16:49:14 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015