One crash led to another on Highway 401 early this morning near Drumbo, closing the road for several hours, and it was just one of many collisions in southwestern Ontario Friday.
Icy road conditions led to a series of crashes and vehicles sliding into ditches on major highways, city streets and country roads across the region.
Police and fire officials were called out around 3:40 a.m. for a vehicle rollover and two cars in the ditch on Highway 401 near the Drumbo cutoff.
Shortly afterwards an approaching tractor trailer lost control and slid into the ditch then a second transport truck lost control and struck a fire truck that was already at the scene.
In all six vehicles were involved in the incident. There were several minor injuries and all parties were transported to Woodstock Hospital by ambulance.
The eastbound lanes of the highway were closed from Dundas Street in Woodstock to Cedar Creek Road for an investigation. The highway reopened around 10:30 a.m.
There was also a diesel fuel spill as a result of the collision so the Ministry of the Environment was called in. Workers remain on the highway on ramp to continue the clean-up.
This is the second time in just over two weeks that a fire truck from Blandford-Blenheim Township has been involved in a crash with a transport truck. On Dec. 29 a crew was responding to a crash on Highway 401 when it collided with a tractor trailer.
Regional police, fire crews had hands full
In Waterloo Region there were a number of collisions and spin-outs on area roads.
Al Pinheiro, manager of Active Franks Towing, says "It was really slick and I think a lot of people just weren't realizing how slippery it was this morning and the cold weather."
There was a two-car collision on Snyders Road just east of Baden but there were no reports of serious injuries in that crash.
A driver spun out and hit a pole at New Dundee Road and Cameron Road in Kitchener, while a second slid into the guard rail just down the road.
On Highway 7/8 one car rolled over at Foundry Road near Baden and there were several vehicles involved in a crash around 7 a.m. between Trussler Road and Fischer-Hallman Road.
Meanwhile on Highway 7/8 in Perth County a woman suffered minor injuries after she lost control of her car and collided with a transport truck.
Police are reminding drivers to go slow and drive with care as conditions can be unpredictable.