The Northumberland Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is investigating a number of collisions both on and off Highway 401 on January 23, 2025.
Police, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Fire Departments responded to as many as 26 reported collisions in the county. Injuries were reported in some incidents however none were considered to be life-threatening or life-altering.
The earliest collision was reported on Highway 401 eastbound in the Township of Alnwick/Haldimand, shortly after 2:40 a.m. A single tractor-trailer was located in the ditch and no injuries were reported.
Heavy tow was required for the first of many collisions which occurred later in the day.
Shortly after 11:00 a.m., OPP responded to a report of a collision involving two vehicles on Butler Street in the Municipality of Brighton.
One driver failed to remain, and details were provided to officers. There were no injuries disclosed.
As a result, a 42-year-old driver from Brighton, has been charged with:
– Fail to remain
– No insurance.
At approximately 11:10 a.m., emergency services responded to a multi-vehicle collision on Highway 401 eastbound in the Township of Alnwick/Haldimand. Among the involved tractor-trailers and passenger vehicles was a police cruiser.
Further collisions in the same area caused the highway to be shut down and diversions were in place at Lyle St in Grafton.
Minor injuries were reported by those involved. The highway was opened for eastbound traffic at around 2:00 p.m. and the circumstances surrounding these collisions are being investigated.
Shortly after, at around 11:18 a.m., officers responded to a multi-vehicle collision involving a number of tractor-vehicles and passenger vehicles on Highway 401 westbound in the Township of Alnwick/Haldimand.
Minor injuries were also reported however no persons required medical attention.
Within the next few minutes, two more collisions were reported involving westbound traffic on Highway 401 in the Township of Cramahe.
The first involved a single tractor trailer into the ditch and no injuries were reported.
The second involved as many as 13 vehicles comprising of tractor-trailers, pickup trucks and passenger vehicles.
The highway was closed at County Road 25 as emergency services assisted those involved where one person was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
At around 11:25 a.m. police responded to a report of a four-vehicle collision involving three tractor-trailers and a bus in the Township of Cramahe. Lanes were blocked and the highway was shut down for westbound traffic with diversions in place at County Road 30 in Brighton.
One person was transported to a local hospital non-life-altering injuries.
Shortly after 1:00 p.m., OPP received a report of a collision involving two passenger vehicles in the vicinity of the on and off ramps at Division Street in Cobourg. One person was transported to a local hospital where injuries were described as non-serious.
Highway 401 westbound was opened at County Road 25 shortly at 3:00 p.m. followed by diversions lifted at County Road 30 at around 3:50 p.m.
At around 5:25 p.m., two passenger vehicles collided on Highway 401 westbound in the Township of Cramahe. EMS attended the location where one person was treated for non-serious injuries.
The last multi-vehicle collision was reported just before 8:00 p.m., where police responded to a three-vehicle collision on Highway 401 eastbound in the Township of Alnwick/Haldimand. No persons were injured.
All collisions continue to be investigated.
The Northumberland OPP extends heartfelt thanks to motorists for their patience during traffic delays and diversions caused by the numerous collisions.
We are also deeply grateful to the dedicated tow operators, both heavy and light, who worked tirelessly across multiple locations to assist and play a crucial role in reopening roads.
Additionally, we sincerely thank the snow plow operators for their hard work in clearing snow and maintaining road conditions, ensuring safer travel for everyone.
Video – Traffic Chaos on Highway 401 in Northumberland County
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
