A 46-year-old woman is dead after a tractor-trailer heading north on Highway 400 lost control and hit an oncoming car just south of Barrie.
The crash happened around 2:00 a.m. just north of Highway 89.
“The truck was travelling northbound on Highway 400 for unknown reasons lost control, struck the centre guardrail, actually smashed right through the guardrail and entered the southbound lane where it struck the southbound Ford Mustang,” says OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt.
The driver of the truck was not injured but the woman driving the car was pronounced dead at the scene.
It’s rare for vehicles to go through concrete barriers but it can happen.
“Right where this collision occurred there was a small section of temporary cement guardrails that were put in place as a result from damage at an earlier collision,” adds Sgt. Schmidt.
After the truck went through the temporary concrete barrier, it went up on the guardrail and then slid 40 metres before it stopped. The truck was jackknifed and lying on top of the guardrail for hours before it was towed away.
Traffic was backed up for hours in both directions on Highway 400 between Mapleview Drive in Barrie and Highway 89 near Cookstown. In the southbound lanes, as many as 200 drivers had to wait four hours before they could be rerouted. As the morning commute got underway, it didn’t take long for the back roads to also get clogged.
“I’ve been on the road since 9:00 a.m. and I should be in Orillia by now, usually it only takes me two hours, so it’s already gone two hours,” said Kitchener driver Denise Ballard.
Even though bad weather may have been a factor in the crash, police say it’s not an excuse.
“Road conditions and weather conditions play a factor in that but really what it comes down to is the driver behaviour in terms of driving according to the road conditions and if you are travelling on slippery road conditions you need to adjust your driving and slow down and drive accordingly,” adds Sgt. Schmidt.
Highway 400 fully reopened on Thursday afternoon.
Police continue to investigate the crash and still trying to determine if charges will be laid.
