A man from Nova Scotia is dead after a multi-vehicle pileup that has shut down Highway 401 west near Kingston, Ont., Sunday afternoon, according to Ontario Provincial Police.
OPP, Kingston Fire, and Frontenac Paramedics responded to a collision in the westbound lanes of Hwy. 401 between Hwy. 15 and Montreal Street just after 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
Between 30 and 40 vehicles — including passenger vehicles and tractor trailers — were involved in the crash, according to an OPP news release.
On Monday morning, provincial police identified the person who died in the crash as 33-year-old Matthew Robert Jamieson of Nova Scotia.
Frontenac Paramedics said they took 16 people to hospital, including three with life-threatening injuries.
“Highway is now closed following collision,” tweeted the OPP just before 3 p.m. “Traffic diverting off (the highway) at Joyceville Rd.”
OPP said Kingston Police and the local Red Cross are coordinating their resources at a warming centre at Rideau Heights Community Centre.
“Stranded motorists not involved in the collision are being remove from the highway by Kingston City Transit buses and taken to a warming centre,” OPP said.
In a statement, Kingston General Hospital said they received between 15 and 20 people, “most of whom have non-life-threatening injuries.”
The investigation is ongoing. The westbound lanes of the highway were closed until around 4:30 a.m. Monday morning.
Any vehicles left on the highway will be towed. Their owners can call Frontenac OPP on Monday to find out where the vehicle was taken.
OPP Const. Curtis Dick said the cause of the collision is still unknown but “weather did play a factor.”
The collision comes as the region — and much of southern Ontario — is under a weather advisory and snowfall warning.
Rain, snow, freezing rain and ice pellets created dangerous conditions on the roads in southeastern Ontario, stretching all the way to the Greater Toronto Area.
There were approximately 400 collisions in the GTA alone on Sunday, according to OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt.
The storm also knocked out power to 25,000 Hydro One customers and 6,000 Toronto Hydro customers.
This story is developing and will be updated.
— With files by The Canadian Press