Less than 36 hours after the Highway 401 accident that claimed two lives and resulted in a dramatic fire display unprecedented on local roads, the east-west route was finally reopened Thursday morning, albeit with some Lane closures as extensive cleanup efforts continue.
OPP Sergeant Kerry Schmidt was on hand to update the public since all lanes of the freeway were closed Tuesday night, and released videos of the startling aftermath of the accident, which involved a passenger car and two tanker trucks, one of which one bursting into a huge explosion fireball that burned for hours.
I know you’ve all seen plenty of videos of the Pickering fire, but this one doing the rounds on family chats is the wildest. pic.twitter.com/Dp9a8dXvPX
— Radheyan Simonpillai (@JustSayRad) June 22, 2023
Footage surfacing on social media both at the time of the collision and shortly thereafter has served as shocking breeding ground for speculation about what could possibly have happened to cause such spectacular, blazing mayhem, but it’s the clips that follow were recorded to help us better understand the incident.
It was just after 10:30 p.m. on June 20 when the driver of one of the fuel-laden trucks lost control of the vehicle while traveling eastbound near Brock Road in Pickering.
The semi-trailer hit the concrete wall of the flyover, overturned, burst, and caught fire, the inferno quickly igniting the cargo, which spilled over the ground and into the sewers below.
The driver died while two vehicles closely following each other also caught fire, another large truck (whose driver unfortunately also passed) and a car carrying two people who survived without injuries.
Update: The OPP investigation on the ground has concluded. The MTO assesses the condition of the overpass, road surface and other infrastructure. Morning traffic may still be affected. Plan alternative routes. #Hwy401/Brock Rd – Pickering. #TorontoOPP ^ks pic.twitter.com/JKFgtCz2FI
— OPP Highway Safety Division (@OPP_HSD) June 22, 2023
The Department of Transportation spent hours assessing whether the flyover bridge, nearby streetlights, and the road infrastructure itself were safe to use and what repairs would be needed.
At least one towering lamppost has since been demolished and is visibly burned, while the concrete bridge still appears completely blackened.
Update: Clean-up underway after fatal collision #Hwy401/Brock Rd Pickering. Plan alternative routes if you normally travel through this area. updates to follow. #TorontoOPP pic.twitter.com/Tu1bNGcnts
— OPP Highway Safety Division (@OPP_HSD) June 21, 2023
Yesterday afternoon, Schmidt tweeted that the burning fuel not only set the roadway on fire but also seeped into catch basins under the tarmac, causing explosions that completely blew off several manhole covers and destroyed parts of the highway.
“Again, this only shows part of the incredible power of these explosive fumes and fuels that erupted from these catch basins some distance from where the van lost control and burst into flames,” he said.
Wow
— Susan Baker (@susanbaker57) June 22, 2023
The investigations have now moved away from number 401 since Thursday afternoon and are expected to continue “for some time”.
Traffic has resumed in both directions with eastbound lane restrictions while southbound Brock Road and the on-ramp to the freeway remain closed.