Miraculously no one was seriously injured or killed after a westbound tractor trailer went through the median and into the eastbound lanes striking a pickup truck on Highway 401 at Brighton.
The collision happened shortly after 9 p.m. on Sunday, December 9, 2018.
Emergency services including Northumberland OPP, Northumberland County Paramedics and Cramahe Township Fire Department responded to the collision.
It appears a westbound tractor trailer on Highway 401 hit the median wall at the County Road 30 overpass in Brighton.
The transport went along the wall for several metres before the wall ended, and the tractor trailer veered left and entering the eastbound lanes of Highway 401 where it struck a pickup truck sending it into the guardrails.
Reports from the scene said the driver of the pickup truck and possibly up to three teenagers around the age of 14-years-old suffered minor injuries and were transported to hospital.
The pickup had Quebec license plates and one person on scene told Today’s Northumberland the group may have been on their way home following a cheerleading competition.
The driver of the transport was uninjured.
Eastbound lanes of Highway 401 were shut down for approximately two hours while crews removed the vehicles and cleared debris from the highway.
Cramahe Township Fire Department Acting Chief Tim Burgess said when the call came in, they were told that children were involved in the collision.
Complicating matters while fire crews were responding to the scene they were held up because of traffic stopped on the highway.
With lights and sirens activated, motorists weren’t pulling over to the right.
“We couldn’t get past them. Just a reminder to motorists under the Highway Traffic Act it does say to pull to the far right and stop.”
With traffic at a standstill, Burgess said at times he literally got out of the firetruck and knocked on the windows of vehicles advising them to pull over.
“It was several seconds we were sitting there, so I got out and asked the motorists to pull over to the right to allow us through.”
Burgess said, “it could be your family that’s in need of us and we’re trying to get there as quickly and safely as possible.”
If there was a fire, or someone was trapped, Burgess said, “no one would be getting any help.”
Burgess could see the full right hand shoulder was open for vehicles that could have moved over to the right.
“We’re just asking this holiday season please be mindful and if you see the emergency vehicles with emergency lights activated pull over to the far right and stop when it is safe to do so.”
Eastbound lanes were re-opened at approximately midnight.
UPDATE from Northumberland OPP
Collision on Highway 401 Involving Tractor Trailer
(NORTHUMBERLAND, ON) – On Sunday December 9, 2018 shortly after 9:00 pm officers of the Northumberland Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) along with emergency personnel, responded to a collision on Highway 401eastbound near mile marker 509 in the Municipality of Brighton, involving a tractor trailer and a pick-up truck.
Preliminary Investigation reveals that a tractor trailer travelling westbound crossed the center median and struck a pick-up truck travelling eastbound causing the highway to be shut down for several hours.
The driver and passengers of the pick-up truck were transported to a local area hospital with minor injuries. The driver of the tractor trailer was uninjured.
As a result of the investigation the driver of the tractor trailer was charged under the Highway Traffic Act with careless driving. Both vehicles were towed from scene, and the highway has since been re-opened.
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
