Grandparents, baby among 4 dead in Hwy. 401 crash involving fleeing vehicle after LCBO robbery: SIU

A deadly multi-vehicle crash that involved a wrong-way driver on Highway 401 in Whitby started when police were in pursuit of at least one suspect who robbed an LCBO, the province’s police watchdog said.

The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) confirmed that Durham Region Police Service (DRPS) were called to a robbery at an LCBO in Clarington just after 8 p.m. on Monday. When police arrived, the suspect fled in a cargo van, and a pursuit was initiated.

They say the suspect driver then proceeded onto Highway 401, driving in the opposite direction, which resulted in a multi-vehicle crash with fatalities that involved at least six cars.

The SIU confirmed that four people, including a baby, were killed. The occupant of the cargo van died at the scene, while three others — a grandmother, grandfather and their grandchild — died in the other vehicle. Another individual from the collision was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries.

It’s unknown if there were other people in the suspect cargo van or if others were involved in the robbery.

The SIU was called to investigate the incident as Durham police were involved. It was an off-duty officer who was at the LCBO and notified the police of the alleged crime.

Witnesses describe scene ahead of fatal crash

Multiple traffic spotters reported seeing a white van travelling at a high rate of speed and driving the wrong way in the eastbound lanes of Highway 401 before it crashed.

“I was driving in the left lane, and I was making my way over to the right lane, and all of a sudden, there was some kind of white van in front of me, facing me, going westbound in the east lane,” one woman told 680 News Radio Toronto.

Video sent to CityNews captured the vehicle driving moments before the crash.

The crash closed the highway between Lake Ridge Road/County Road 23 and Brock Street in the eastbound lanes for over 12 hours but reopened just after 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The westbound lanes from Brock Street to Highway 412 also reopened just before 7 a.m.

Premier Doug Ford was asked about the crash on Tuesday.

“It’s heart-wrenching, and you see everyone from a grandfather to a little baby killed because someone decides to rob a liquor store and go on the other side of the highway,” Ford commented at a press conference in Caledon.

“It’s a tragedy. We’re going to do everything we can to equip our police, and one of the reasons we’re getting helicopters for police agencies around Ontario.”