Officers with the Ontario Provincial Police say they were kept busy throughout the London, Ont., area on Thursday amid a morning filled with freezing rain.
Local education boards were quick to announce that all school buses in the region had been cancelled, but other commuters still had to deal with harsh winter conditions during the morning drive.
OPP West Region spokesperson Derek Rogers says crashes “were pretty much widespread across the region.”
“At the peak of it, we had about 40 crashes on the go at roughly 8:30 a.m.,” he added.
“Luckily, there were no serious injuries involved in any of those crashes.”
Crashes on Thursday morning led to two major road closures: the westbound Highway 401 at Highway 402 and westbound Highway 401 at Wonderland Road. The latter was caused by a crash between a bus and a transport truck.
“It was a bus full of adults who were heading to work. There were a number of injuries, but there was nothing life-threatening, fortunately enough,” Rogers said.
The two closures have since reopened, as of 12 p.m. Thursday.
The crashes, Rogers says, serve as an important reminder for cautious driving amid poor conditions.
“One of the leading causes of collisions happening in the winter months is poor driving, and not poor driving conditions,” Rogers said.
“So the message is: Slow down, stay alert and stay in control.”
As for the freezing rain, Environment Canada has lifted its warning for the London area, but the region is still set to see periods of drizzles for the rest of Thursday.
Strong winds from Thursday morning are also set to diminish as the day rolls on.
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