1 dead after massive crash on Highway 401 in Pickering that caused fires and explosions

A person is dead after a fiery multi-vehicle crash on Highway 401 in Pickering late Tuesday that caused multiple explosions, police officers say.

Durham Regional Police Sgt. Joanne Bortoluss told CityNews crews from various emergency services were dispatched to Highway 401 at Brock Road at around 10:30 p.m. after receiving reports a tanker truck, a transport truck and a passenger vehicle crashed. She added it was believed one of the vehicles stored gasoline.

Footage from Ontario Ministry of Transportation cameras and posts on social media captured the force of the impact. Videos showed a large ball of fire going into the air.

“The fire has obviously caused damage to the Brock Road … overpass, the highway itself. It is right against the centre barrier wall,” OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said in a video update posted on the service’s Highway Safety Division Twitter account just after 1 a.m. on Wednesday.

Flames could be seen in the eastbound and westbound lanes of Highway 401. OPP officers closed Highway 401 between Whites Road in Pickering and Westney Road South in Ajax because of the incident, leading to major traffic delays in the surrounding areas.

Durham Regional Police officers also said Brock Road between Pickering Parkway and Plumber Street was closed as part of the ongoing investigation.

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The circumstances leading up to the crash weren’t immediately clear, but officers began investigating the cause late Tuesday. Schmidt appealed for witnesses who didn’t with police, or those driving in the area with dash camera footage, to call the OPP’s Toronto detachment.

Flames on one of the commercial vehicles continued to burn hours after the crash. Schmidt said firefighters needed to let more of the fuel burn off before they could move in to fully extinguish the flames.

As a result of the intensity of the fire, Schmidt said emergency crews weren’t able to get close to one or more of the vehicles as of the time he posted the update.

Durham Regional Police officers encouraged residents near Brock Road and Highway 401 to keep windows and doors closed due to thick smoke from the scene.

He said a person died at the scene and it was unclear if there were further casualties.

Meanwhile, Bortoluss and Schmidt both warned drivers commuting in the region on Wednesday to expect significant traffic delays.

“This will be closed for several hours, if not several days,” Bortoluss said.