One dead in Ont. pileups; 28 others injured
KINGSTON, Ont. — Collisions involving about 30 vehicles on a highway east of Toronto left one person dead, sent 28 others to hospital and caused a chemical spill that prompted road closures on Tuesday.
Ontario Provincial Police said their investigation revealed two collisions happened about the same time on Highway 401 near Kingston, Ont., because of icy roads and blowing snow.
Const. Sandra Barr said the first collision happened in the westbound lanes about 2 p.m. just east of Highway 137 and involved five tractor trailers and one car. The second collision was also westbound, about one kilometre away from the first, and involved seven tractor trailers and three vehicles. Other crashes then took place. “There were multiple chain reactions after the fact behind those two collisions,” Barr said. “In the same vicinity on eastbound Highway 401, three other tractor trailers were reported to have collisions.”
Police said one of the transport trucks involved in the collisions leaked a toxic substance, leading to an evacuation of the immediate area.
Barr said the driver of the truck with the toxic substance was taken to hospital, but succumbed to his injuries.
The first responders who came to the driver’s aid were sent to hospital for decontamination, she said.
Kingston General Hospital spokeswoman Meagan Quinn said 29 people were treated at the hospital after the collisions, including the one fatality.
Quinn said a decontamination bay was opened at the hospital for all those who were exposed to the chemical, noting that the substance had been confirmed as fluorosilicic acid.
Quinn said 13 first responders underwent decontamination and were being held for observation as a precaution.
“Exposure to the chemical could cause irritation to the nose, throat, respiratory system, irritation, redness or swelling of the skin and severe eye irritation,” Quinn told reporters.
The hospital was under a “code orange” after the crashes, meaning non-critical patients were temporarily re-routed to the nearby Hôtel-Dieu Hospital in Kingston.
Quinn said some patients were being discharged from the hospital by Tuesday night.
Police said homes around the highway did not have to be evacuated after the chemical spill.
Barr said Highway 401 detours were set up to allow for the investigation.
Poor weather conditions were also blamed for a highway pileup south of Montreal.
There was no immediate word on the number of people injured in that crash about 3:30 p.m. on Highway 10 in the Magog area.