Update, 4 p.m.:
Highway 400 has reopened following a collision involving about 50 vehicles and several transport trucks north of Newmarket earlier today.
The highway was closed to traffic between Highway 88 and Innisfil Beach Road for several hours, OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported, Schmidt said.
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It may look like a winter wonderland from inside your home or office, but outside on local roads police are responding to multiple vehicle collisions throughout Newmarket and the GTA.
A 20-vehicle pile up on northbound Hwy. 400 at Innisfil Beach Road, just south of Barrie has snarled traffic in the area and closed a portion of the highway. Northbound traffic is being redirected off the highway at Highway 88 and southbound traffic at Innisfil Beach Road, according to South Simcoe Police Services.
Police are on the scene and no injuries have so far been reported, according to OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt.
York Regional Police are also responding to numerous crashes, including a 1:15 p.m. crash at Davis Drive and Bathurst Street and another at 2:04 p.m. at Davis Drive and Eagle Street W.
“Conditions are not great out there and probably not great in many places around the GTA and surrounding areas, and we have multiple collisions happening,” said Schmidt. “Tomorrow, as conditions continue to potentially be like this, if it freezes and thaws, we could have pieces of ice flying off vehicles which can be very problematic, as well.”
Schmidt noted that a motorist was struck by a passing vehicle on the Garden City Skyway near St. Catharines as they got out of their car after a collision on the QEW.
“We have very serious situations going on, but I don’t think any injuries are life-threatening or critical at this point,” he added.
Schmidt offers the following tips to drivers who are involved in a collision:
- If you are involved in a collision, keep your personal safety top of mind
- If you’re able to drive your vehicle, even if there’s some damage, move it off the highway to a safe location before you get out to inspect damage, and call insurance companies
- If you’re not able to drive your vehicle, stay in the protection of your vehicle so you have a safety cage around you. Call 9-1-1 or *OPP to report your situation and what’s going on
- Make sure your full headlighting system is on so you’re visible
- Brush snow off your vehicle before heading out onto the roads
- Let the sanders, salters and ploughs do their work without interference from drivers trying to get around them