Oil spill closes Highway 401 Westbound near Chatham.
On May 31, 2025, at approximately 10:01 a.m., members of the Elgin County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), were dispatched to Westbound lanes of Highway 401 in Chatham-Kent, Elgin County, for the report of a single vehicle collision.
While investigating the collision it was determined an unknown vehicle had previously spilled a substantial amount of oil on the highway.
As a result, the highway was closed to Westbound traffic between Bloomfield Road and Queens Line.
One lane was anticipated to open in a couple of hours as crews cleaned up the spill, however, one lane was anticipated to remain closed for an undetermined amount of time.
There were no injuries reported.
If you have any information that could assist with the investigation, the OPP can be reached anywhere in the Province of Ontario at 1-888-310-1122.
If you wish to remain anonymous you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) where you may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2000.
