One person is dead and another is in hospital after a fiery crash on Highway 400 in Vaughan Thursday evening.
It happened in the southbound lanes of the highway near Rutherford Road at around 7:45 p.m.
Ontario Provincial Police said they were called to the scene for a report of a vehicle broken down in a live lane of traffic.
OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said another vehicle appeared to have slammed into the disabled vehicle and then erupted into flames. The male driver of that vehicle was able to escape and was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
“The vehicle that was broken down spun around up against the centre concrete wall,” Schmidt said.
The male driver of the disabled vehicle was transported to hospital with critical injuries and was pronounced dead a short time later, Schmidt said.
Passersby tried to stop and help the injured drivers but the first driver was found without vital signs when paramedics and firefighters arrived, Schmidt said.
OPP are now looking to speak with any witnesses to as part of their investigation into the deadly crash.
“We are appealing to any witnesses who were travelling through this area prior to the collision to call Aurora OPP,” Schmidt said.
All southbound lanes of the highway were closed at Major MacKenzie Drive because of the fatal collision.
Schmidt said the closure was expected to last for several hours. The highway reopened early Friday morning.
The closure was in addition to a separate ongoing closure on Hwy. 400 between Hwy. 9 and Hwy. 88 for a chemical spill.
