A pickup truck with an unsecured load is being blamed by police for causing a multi-vehicle crash in the southbound lanes of Highway 400 Wednesday afternoon.

Emergency crews responded to the crash shortly after 3 p.m. which shut down all southbound lanes of the highway at Innisfil Beach Road.

A mini-van and two transport trucks were involved in the crash.

According to the OPP, the collision started when a pickup truck carrying a load of furniture lost a chair that wasn’t secured.

“A chair came out of that pickup truck and fell onto the highway – there were some vehicles that tried to swerve to avoid hitting that debris,” said Sgt. Kerry Schmidt. “One vehicle tried to avoid and went into the guard rail and then got tapped by a transport truck.”

Police said that transport truck then crashed into another transport truck that was parked on the shoulder of the highway being repaired. Both transport trucks burst into flames and one truck that was hauling gravel rolled over. Police said two people suffered minor injuries.

“This could have very easily turned into a fatal collision,” said Schmidt.  

The driver of the pickup truck has been charged with unsecured load under the Highway Traffic Act.

The road has since reopened.