UPDATE – One lane reopened: Fatal collision closes 401 west of Kingston

UPDATE (4:40 p.m. Thursday, Mar. 23, 2023):

The Lennox and Addington (L&A) County Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are looking for anyone who has relevant information, dash cam footage or who may have witnessed the collision which took place on Highway 401 near Tyendinaga earlier today.

The highway was closed to traffic both ways for a substantial portion of the day, and at approximately 4:40 p.m., the OPP said that one westbound lane has reopened. The eastbound lanes remain closed between County Road 49 and County Road 7.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call L&A County OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Tips can be provided anonymously by contacting Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477(TIPS). Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at: www.ontariocrimestoppers.ca.

Original article:

Highway 401 remains closed in both directions near Tyendinaga, west of Kingston, on the morning of Thursday, Mar. 23, 2023, following a fatal collision.

Westbound lanes are closed at Marysville while eastbound lanes are closed at Shannonville.

According to OPP, two tractor trailers and a passenger vehicle were involved, with one of the tractor trailers appearing to have crossed the median, striking another head-on shortly before 6:30 a.m.

Local fire departments and paramedics initially struggled to reach the scene and were temporarily trapped in the ensuing traffic jam. Greater Napanee Emergency Services were activated for mutual aid to conduct rescue and extrication.

According to OPP, one person was confirmed deceased at the scene and one other person was transported to the hospital with serious injuries.

The highway closures are expected to last into the late afternoon or early evening.

As of 9 a.m., crews were working on getting 401 eastbound traffic freed of the collision scene by using the westbound lanes, with a plan to then set up a partial lane closure, in collaboration with the Ministry of Transportation (MTO), in one lane of the westbound side to allow westbound traffic flow.

This is a developing story. Check back for further updates.