Highway 401 in Chatham-Kent Shut Following 12 Car Crash

The raging winter storm in Ontario and other provinces across Canada has caused major problems for commuters. Today, December 23, a 12-car crash was reported on Highway 401 in the Chatham-Kent area. Another crash was reported on the 401 at Communication Road.

OPP West Region shared on Twitter that a 12-car crash has led to the closure of Eastbound and Westbound lanes of Highway 401 between Tilbury and Victoria. Low visibility brought on by the snowstorm has caused multiple vehicle crashes which the OPP is investigating. They reported another crash at Communication Road on Highway 401. One more incident was reported near Kent Bridge due to terrible driving conditions. Officers have requested people to stay home unless absolutely necessary as zero visibility, slick roadways, and downed trees have been reported. It is unclear if there were any casualties in these crashes.

#ElginOPP CK Detachment has closed both the E/B and W/B Lanes of the #HWY401 between Tilbury and Victoria, due to a collision involving 12 Vehicles. More updates when available. ^bp pic.twitter.com/Jlcn2Ipn70

— OPP West Region (@OPP_WR) December 23, 2022

OPP is responding to several accidents across the country.

Quebec City, the Laurentians, and the Outaouais regions have been hit the hardest by the snowstorm. More than 213,000 Hydro-Quebec customers had no power as of 10 a.m. and the company said that the number could increase due to the storm. “Due to the weather forecast for today and tomorrow, the number of customers without power could continue to increase. Our crews are working to restore service as quickly as possible,” it stated.

A winter storm like this is a once-in-a-decade event as pointed out by Canada meteorologist Mitch Meredith. “We may only see one of these storms every five or 10 years. I’ve only seen a couple of storms like this in the last 20 years,” she said.

Seriously, if YOU don't need to travel, please STAY HOME. #OPP urging drivers to stay off the roads. #WinterStorm causing zero visibility, slick roadways,and downed trees. Please DO NOT call 911 for road or weather conditions. @511ONWest. #ONStorm @NorfolkCountyCA #NorfolkOPP ^es pic.twitter.com/d1iZPwBDYz

— OPP West Region (@OPP_WR) December 23, 2022

OPP West Region posted a video on Twitter requesting travelers to try and stay home if they can. The officer has also requested people to not contact 911 for road or weather conditions.

Details about these accidents are unclear. This is a developing story and will be updated as new information arrives.

Vineet Washington