Two people die on Highway 400
Posted By RAYMOND BOWE
Updated 23 days ago
Highway 400 was the scene of two fatal traffic accidents on Tuesday.
Around 2 p.m., provincial police say a tractor-trailer driven by a 63-year-old London man was southbound on the highway, south of Highway 89 near Bradford, when it went off the road and up the west-side embankment.
The rig then came back down, crossed all three southbound lanes, went through the steel guard rail and crossed all three northbound lanes before climbing the embankment on the opposite shoulder.
"No other vehicles were struck," OPP Sgt. Dave Woodford said.
The driver of the tractor-trailer had no vital signs when paramedics arrived. The man was revived, but was later pronounced dead at Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Alliston.
"We think it might have been a medical condition," Woodford said. "I think what stopped him was the (second) embankment from going any farther."
The investigation continues.
"We'll be a while yet," Woodford said around 5 p.m. "We have two northbound lanes that are open and two southbound lanes open ... but eventually the northbound lanes will all be closed down for the removal of the truck."
No timelines were available because police are still on scene.
Earlier in the day, Southern Georgian Bay OPP Dave Hobson said "a freak snowstorm" swept through the Honey Harbour area, about an hour north of Barrie, creating an icy surface in the southbound lanes of Highway 400, near Whites Falls Road in Georgian Bay Township.
"We had a series of motor vehicle collisions right in that area," Hobson said.
A motorist involved in the morning crash got out of his vehicle to aid another driver when he was struck by a southbound vehicle.
"He did succumb to his injuries," Hobson said, adding several other people were involved in the crash, but no serious injuries were reported.
The man's name, age and hometown have not been released pending notification of next-of-kin.
The highway was closed from about 10:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. for the investigation.
rbowe@thebarrieexaminer.com
