2 dead after QEW crash in St. Catharines
Posted May 9, 2013 5:28 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Two people are dead after a crash involving two tractor-trailers and two other vehicles on the QEW in St. Catharines.
Four other men were hurt, two of whom have life-threatening injuries. The other two men involved in the crash were not seriously hurt.
The crash happened in the Toronto-bound lanes near Highway 406 around 4 a.m. on Thursday, shutting down the busy route.
The Niagara-bound QEW reopened in the afternoon, but the OPP said the Toronto-bound lanes would stay closed between Highway 406 and 7th Street until about midnight for resurfacing.
Ontario Provincial Police say a Mitsubishi and a BMW collided just before 4 a.m. A tractor-trailer carrying steel coils then hit the Mitsubishi and rolled over the cement barriers into the Toronto-bound lanes. A second tractor-trailer, carrying liquid carbon dioxide, struck the steel coils.
The liquid did not spill, police said, but crews will have to repave the road.
A passenger in the Mitsubishi was killed and two other people from that car were taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries. The driver of the tanker truck was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The driver of the truck with the steel coils and the BMW driver were not seriously injured.
Air Liquide issued the following statement after the fatal crash:
Air Liquide learned this morning that one of its employees was injured in a serious traffic incident in St. Catharines, Ontario. The incident involved one of our company’s carbon dioxide (C02) tanker truck and three other vehicles. Police and emergency responders were called to the scene. The truck was inspected by one of our safety experts. No product was released or spilled and the scene is contained.
One individual passed away at the scene and three other individuals were taken to the hospital in serious condition this morning, including the trailer driver of one of our company’s tanker trucks.
Tragically, we have learned that our trailer driver has passed away from his injuries. The health and safety of our employees across our operations is the highest priority for our company and we are deeply saddened by the loss of our team member.
This is a very sad and difficult time for all involved. Our thoughts today are with the people involved in this incident, and we want to offer our deepest condolences to their families, friends and colleagues.
We are working closely with the employee’s family and the Ontario Provincial Police to provide any support they need.
