Update: 401 crash turns fatal

Chatham-Kent OPP officials allege: The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in Chatham-Kent is reporting the death of a driver involved in one of two collisions on Highway 401 on March 4, 2019.

At approximately 11 a.m. a tractor trailer carrying salt caught fire in the eastbound lanes of Highway 401 near Orford Road, resulting in the highways eastbound lanes being shut down.

The driver and lone occupant of the truck was transported to an area hospital for treatment of life altering injuries after a tire on the truck exploded as he was attempting to extinguish the fire.

At approximately 2:30 p.m., a collision occurred in the eastbound lanes, near the 116 kilometer marker, west of the tractor trailer fire.

This rear end collision involved three vehicles, including two tractor trailers and a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV).

The lone male driver of one of the tractor trailers was pronounced dead at the scene.

The lone male driver of the second tractor trailer and the lone female driver of the SUV were not injured.

At approximately 3:45 p.m. a second collision occurred, also in the eastbound lanes, near the 107 kilometer marker involving a tractor trailer unit and a pickup truck.

The lone male driver of the pickup truck was transported to an area hospital by air ambulance suffering non-life threatening injuries.

The lone driver of the tractor trailer was not injured.

The eastbound lanes of Highway 401 between Kent Bridge Road and Orford Road were closed for several hours as the OPP’s Technical Collision Investigators (TCI) completed the investigations.

The investigations are ongoing and further information will be provided as it becomes available.

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