The eastbound lanes of Hwy 401 have reopened following a chain-reaction crash.
Ontario Provincial Police say up to five tractor trailers were involved in a chain-reaction collision, which occurred just after 5:30pm Friday and blocked the eastbound lanes near Merlin Rd in Tilbury. The incident caused traffic to back up in a construction zone, causing more congestion for drivers setting off on weekend trips.
Police say one of the trailers stopped suddenly in the slow-moving traffic, causing the trailer behind it to rear-end it. Three other trucks behind them also collided with all vehicles involved sustaining damage. Three of the drivers were taken to hospital with minor injuries.
A detour was set up to have drivers get off the 401 at Highway 42, and re-enter eastbound 401 at Bloomfield Rd in Chatham. The affected vehicles had to be towed from the scene.
The OPP says the eastbound lanes were cleared shortly before 8pm Friday, though there may be residual backups heading into Friday evening.
https://twitter.com/OPP_COMM_WR/status/891082150619082755
