A blast of winter weather led to several collisions Monday, including one that blocked a stretch of the eastbound Highway 401 in Elgin County.
The Ontario Provincial Police were forced to close the eastbound lanes at Furnival Road after two tractor trailers collided in the area at around 9 a.m. The crash was one of dozens that police officers responded to Monday morning, which were the result of drivers travelling too fast for the changing weather conditions.
"The roadways are slippery, so I'm urging you to slow down," said OPP Const. Adam Crewdson in a live Periscope video posted from the scene of the crash. "The other scene I was at on the 401 westbound, we had police cars out, I had flares out [and] I had cars going highway speed past me in the fast lane."
Environment Canada issued a special weather statement early on Monday morning ahead of the blast of winter weather on Monday morning. Another was issued Monday afternoon, warning of possible freezing rain in the evening across London and Middlesex County.
While the eastbound lanes of the 401 were fully re-opened at around 11:30 a.m., Crewdson said he's urging drivers to slow down when they see emergency lights activated and when travel conditions become treacherous.
Emergency crews respond to a tractor trailer crash on Hwy 401 near Colonel Talbot Road, January 7, 2019. (Photo courtesy of the OPP via Twitter)
Emergency crews respond to a tractor trailer crash on Hwy 401 near Colonel Talbot Road, January 7, 2019. (Photo courtesy of the OPP via Twitter)
