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Two Dead, One Person Sent To Hospital Following Fatal 4-Vehicle QEW Crash

By Christina St Jean
Published on: 00:09 PST, Dec 23, 2015

A fatal crash that was believed to have killed one person on Toronto, Canada’s Queen Elizabeth Way Tuesday night actually claimed the lives of two, according to reports. The crash, which occurred in Oakville around 9:20 p.m., also sent one person to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

It is still unclear as to what caused the fatal collision. While Ontario has struggled with fog over the last several days, investigators continue to piece together what caused the crash that sent one person to the hospital. A tractor trailer on scene burst into flames as a result of the collision, according to the Toronto Star. Reports indicate that one of the two tractor trailers involved in the accident was carrying fuel, which caused it to burst into flames.

The Hamilton Spectator reports that the Ontario Provincial Police believe that eastbound lanes of the highway near the scene will be reopened at around 9 a.m. Wednesday morning as police continue to investigate what caused the fiery crash.

One person was originally believed to have died in the collision, but that has since been upgraded to two fatalities as a result of the fatal crash. According to InsideHalton.com, there were also reports of people trapped in a vehicle at the scene, and two tractor trailers were reported to have been engulfed by flames, with one of them still burning at 10:20 p.m. Tuesday night.

According to 680 News, the thick fog that has been a hallmark of the last few days for Ontarians has hampered investigators’ work. In addition, there is a possibility that the highway itself might have been damaged as a result of the crash that claimed two lives and sent one person to the hospital.

680 News also reports that only one of the two tractor trailers involved in the crash burst into flames, and emergency crews cautioned that there was the risk of other explosions as a result of the flames. Reportedly, there was also an SUV and another car involved in the crash.

With the eastbound lanes of Trafalgar – the area of the QEW affected by the crash – closed as investigators work to process the scene, the morning commute could be more challenging for some Toronto residents. The investigation is slated to continue throughout the morning rush hour.

Oakville is around 38 minutes southwest of Toronto, according to Google Maps, and the quickest route between the two is on the QEW. With the current investigation that killed two and sent one person to hospital closing a part of the QEW, eastbound traffic is currently being diverted off 3rd Line and Dorval Drive.

Neither the one person injured nor the two people killed in the crash have been identified. In the hours immediately following the crash, Ontario Ministry of Transportation cameras showed that a tractor trailer was indeed ablaze.

According to CBC News, Ontario Provincial Police Constable Tracey Lacarte said charges are pending as a result of the crash. The two individuals killed as a result of the crash were reportedly pinned between the two tractor trailers.

The police are also recommending that people who take the QEW to get to work should consider taking an alternate route or take advantage of transit, as the stretch of the QEW involved in the crash will likely not be open before the morning rush hour.

Ontario Provincial Police say that the one person who was injured in the crash was sent to the hospital with what have been deemed minor non-life threatening injuries. According to Oakville’s Professional Firefighters’ Association, the car and the cab of the second tractor trailer involved in the collision were completely consumed by the blaze.

[Image via Shutterstock]

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