Fail-to-remain driver sought in crash involving fuel tanker near QEW in Beamsville

Police are searching for the driver of a vehicle who may have caused a chain-reaction crash on the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) in Beamsville, causing a tractor-trailer carrying fuel to roll over near the highway.

Provincial police say the crash, which involved two other vehicles, happened on South Service Road adjacent to the highway just before 8 a.m. on Friday.

OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said police are investigating reports of an “aggressive driver” who failed to remain at the scene.

“A third vehicle … driving aggressively that cut off a passenger vehicle sending it into the tractor-trailer and then ending up here in the ditch,” he said.

Police say they are looking for a black, two-door Mercedes possibly a C 43 model. Police are also currently reviewing dash-cam footage of the crash.

Schmidt said the tanker truck was hauling more than 50,000 litres of fuel, and around 30 per cent of it spilled into the ditch.

The truck driver was taken to hospital, but Schmidt said their injuries didn’t appear to be life-threatening.

All lanes of QEW in both directions were reopened just before 4 p.m., however, provincial police say there will be a full closure of the same area on Saturday morning from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. to remove the fuel tanker.