(THAMES CENTRE, ON) – On August 22, 2016, at approximately 5:17 p.m., the Middlesex County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the Thames Centre Fire Department, and the Middlesex London Emergency Medical Services (EMS), responded to a multi-vehicle motor vehicle collision (MVC) on Highway 401 westbound, near the Dorchester Road off ramp.
Eight vehicles were involved, with several people injured. Debris and damaged vehicles were blocking all three lanes of the highway, which remained closed until approximately 7:30 p.m.
The investigation has revealed that a white Ford pickup truck, driven by a 21-year-old male, from London, Ontario, collided with a silver Honda car, in the fast lane, causing chain reaction collisions involving six additional vehicles. The Honda, and the additional vehicles, had been merging due to lane restrictions from nearby construction, and had either been stopped or travelling very slowly on the highway.
The driver of the white Ford pickup truck suffered non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the silver Honda, a 65-year-old male, from London, Ontario, had to be extricated from the vehicle. He was transported to hospital by ambulance with non-life threatening injuries.
The silver Honda car struck the rear of a white Honda car, the three occupants of which (a 22-year-old female, a 57-year-old female, and a 66-year-old male, all from Northville, Michigan, USA) were transported to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The white Honda car struck a blue Dodge car, which struck a white Volvo transport truck. Neither of those drivers (lone occupants) was injured.
The white Honda car also struck a brown Porsche car (with two occupants), which in turn, rear-ended a white Nissan car, and struck a silver Ford sport utility vehicle (SUV). None of the four occupants of the three vehicles were injured.
The driver of the white Ford pickup truck has been charged with careless driving, under the Highway Traffic Act (HTA).