Five tractor-trailers involved in crash between Morrisburg, Iroquois

An early morning pile-up of five transports on Highway 401 has left one person dead and another with serious injuries.

The accident occurred at approximately 12:30 a.m. Thursday when the driver of a westbound tractor-trailer laden with peanut butter had his vision obscured by dense smoke blowing from a nearby field. He was subsequently hit by a tanker filled with what appeared to be either molasses or corn syrup, confirmed an Ontario Provincial Police officer at the scene.

“The tanker was then rear-ended by the SLH truck,” explained Cst. Patrick Dussault, collision reconstuctionist. “The driver in that vehicle is the deceased.”

No name has been released pending notification of next of kin.

The vehicle of the deceased was not carrying cargo.

Dussault added the fourth vehicle “clipped” the SLH transport, while the final transport began trying to brake “almost 80 metres away,” before coming to rest between the victim’s vehicle and the fourth transport.

A second driver was airlifted to an Ottawa hospital with non-life threatening injuries. He suffered two broken wrists, two broken ankles and broken ribs.

“We’re not sure exactly where the smoke was coming from,” said Dussault, “but it appears it was a controlled burning that had a proper permit.Source