Advertisement

Snowstorm wreaks havoc on Quebec highways

Click to play video: 'Fifty-vehicle pileup on highway 10 near Magog'
Fifty-vehicle pileup on highway 10 near Magog
WATCH ABOVE: A 50-vehicle pileup on highway 10 westbound near Magog left dozens with minor injuries. Watch as a couple narrowly escapes serious injury. Facebook video courtesy of Kevin Desjardins-Jean – Mar 15, 2017

A truck driver was killed when a truck’s cabin caught fire in a crash on Highway 20 on Tuesday.

Surété de Québec spokesperson Ingrid Asselin said the incident took place near the 4 km line near Saint-Zotique around 3 p.m.

Six other trucks were involved in the crash, some sustaining fire damage to their cargo.

READ MORE: Highway 13 gridlocked between highway 20 and highway 40 stranding drivers

Multiple injury victims were transported to a nearby hospital, with a few treated for major burns.

Story continues below advertisement

Another pileup occurred three kilometres away on the same highway.

Breaking news from Canada and around the world sent to your email, as it happens.

A dozen vehicles were involved in the crash, with two people taken to hospital.

A tanker truck spilled approximately 20,000 litres of a toxic substance called sodium hypochlorite. Clean-up teams controlled the spills overnight and continued the cleanup into Wednesday.

READ MORE: 1 dead after eastern multi-vehicle crash, chemical spill cleanup continues

A man is also dead after crashing into the pillar of an overpass on Highway 55 in St-Weneceslas, near Trois-Rivieres.

According to Surété de Québec spokesperson Aurélie Guindon, the accident occurred at 3 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.

A 50-car pileup on Highway 10 near Magog was caught on camera by Kevin Desjardins-Jean and uploaded to his Facebook page.

Story continues below advertisement

Twelve people were taken to hospital to be treated for minor injuries from that collision.

Guindon said the accident took place around 3:40 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, and the highway was cleared and reopened by 8 p.m.

Police services across the province advised commuters to avoid driving until conditions improved and highways have been cleared.

As of 10 a.m. Wednesday morning, CAA-Quebec had already assisted 1,400 motorists, most of whom were stuck in the snow.

The CAA was reminding drivers to keep a safe-distance and better yet, to avoid heading unless absolutely necessary.

Sponsored content

AdChoices