The Special Investigations Unit say four people have died, including an infant, after a major crash on Highway 401 that followed a robbery call in Clarington, Ont. and a wrong-way pursuit with police onto the highway.
SIU spokesperson Monica Hudon said at around 7:50 p.m. Monday, Durham Regional Police officers were notified by an off-duty officer of a robbery at an LCBO near Green Road and Highway 2.
Hudon said officers found a vehicle of interest — a U-Haul cargo van — and followed the van through numerous streets in Durham Region “as the vehicle drove erratically.”
She said the vehicle got on Highway 401 at Stevenson Road in Oshawa in the wrong direction and was travelling westbound in the eastbound lanes.
Hudon said shortly after, there was a multi-vehicle collision involving at least six vehicles on Highway 401, just east of Highway 412, in Whitby.
An occupant of the cargo van was pronounced dead at the scene, she said. She could not clarify if that occupant was the driver or how many people were in the van.
Three others in another vehicle — a 60-year-old, a 55-year-old and an infant — also died at the scene, Hudon said, adding that the two adults were the grandparents of the infant.
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A fifth person was rushed to hospital with serious injuries, she said.
Hudon did not elaborate on what happened at the LCBO and said the SIU is still gathering information.
Video circulating online shows a Durham Regional Police cruiser in pursuit of the van on Highway 401 and Hudon said the SIU is investigating that part of incident as well.
“As part of the SIU’s investigation, we are going to look into the pursuit,” Hudon said. “When it started, where it started, what transpired, what made up the pursuit and taking a look at policies.”
She said no officers were injured in the incident.
The SIU is an independent agency that investigates the conduct of officers in incidents that have resulted in death.
Highway 401 was closed in both directions overnight between Lakeridge Road and Brock Street in Whitby.
As of around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, the highway reopened in both directions.
Meanwhile, at an unrelated press conference, Ontario Premier Doug Ford reacted to the deadly crash giving his condolences.
“It’s heart wrenching when you see everyone from a grandfather to a little baby that lost their lives because someone decides to rob a liquor store and go on the other side of the highway. It’s a tragedy,” Ford said.
“We’re going to do everything we can to equip our police so that there won’t be high speed chases. One of the reasons we’re getting helicopters for police agencies around Ontario just to support them,” he continued.
Motorist avoids near collision with cargo van on Highway 401
A motorist, Allen Lee, tells Global News he was on Highway 401 on Monday night just about to exit the highway at Thickson Road in Whitby when he spotted a white cargo van headed towards him.
“Right as I was approaching (the) Thickson exit … I see a white van, headlights coming towards me on the shoulder,” Lee said.
“I dodge out of the way, thinking ‘that was the craziest thing that’s ever happened to me.’ As he passed by me, I am looking in my rear view and I don’t know how many cop cars passed me but maybe between 10 and 20 cop cars were flying by chasing him,” he said.
“I’m going east on 401 east and that guy is going westbound on 401 east,” Lee said. “He had been coming the wrong way on the 401 for some time it seemed.”
Lee said his heart was pounding when he got to the ramp to exit the highway. He said he called his friends to warn them not to get on the highway.