Wheel detached from van causes fatal 401 crash near Cambridge: OPP

One person has died after police say a wheel detached from a vehicle, causing a crash in the eastbound lanes of the 401 near Cambridge.

Ontario Provincial Police said the crash happened just before 2 p.m. Wednesday.

The crash involved three vehicles, including an SUV and a transport truck.

“It was confirmed by investigators that a wheel had become detached from a van travelling westbound, which struck the SUV travelling eastbound, which then made contact with the transport truck,” said OPP in a news release.

Police said the driver of the SUV, a 39-year-old woman from Toronto, died at the crash site, but no other injuries were reported.

The eastbound lanes of the highway were closed for several hours during the police investigation.

OPP Highway Safety Division Sgt. Ted Dongelmans spoke with CTV Kitchener late Wednesday evening.

“It is a tragic situation, one that no one can prepare for,” said Sgt. Dongelmans.

No information was released about the van driver, or the potential for any charges.

Dongelmans says the investigation is expected to be lengthy.

“We do look at the vehicles, examine the vehicles, and we do our best to try to determine just exactly where the fault lies, in terms of what caused the collision so we can try to prevent it from happening in the future,” he said.

OPP announced the highway had reopened at 10:08 p.m.