10 transports involved in string of Highway 401 crashes early Tuesday in Northumberland County

Ten transport trucks were involved in a string of collisions along Highway 401 from Port Hope to Brighton in Northumberland County early Tuesday.

The first reported collision around 1:50 a.m. involved three transports and a vehicle in the westbound lanes near Burnham Street (County Road 18) in Cobourg. None of the transport drivers were injured but the driver of the car suffered minor injuries, according to Northumberland OPP.

Farther in the westbound lanes, a transport truck crashed on the shoulder of the highway.

Around 5:30 a.m., two transports collided in the eastbound lanes near County Road 30 in Brighton. Emergency crews say a tow truck driver was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after tending to one transport, which was then rear-ended by another.

One driver in the transport was also taken to hospital.

OPP closed the eastbound lanes of the highway for several hours and the westbound lanes for nearly five hours.

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Icy and snow-covered roads are being cited as factors in the collisions.

As of Tuesday afternoon, cleanup continued. In one crash, Const. Robert Simpson said 18 rolls of goods — each weighing 2,300 pounds — had to be lifted onto a flatbed truck to be removed from one crash site. One lane of the highway remained open.

Around 3 p.m., Simpson said that section of highway lane was reopened.