It’s been over a week since two separate accidents caused vehicles to go over the guardrail of the Kitchener flyover, with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) now sharing the latest updates as similar occurrences continue to happen across southern Ontario.
The incidents in Kitchener took place on the same day, just hours apart, on Jan. 26.
The two vehicles reportedly lost control, veered onto the snow-covered shoulder that resembled a ramp, before soaring over the guardrail and falling to the highway below.
The second accident resulted in the death of a woman from Waterloo who was driving.
In the week that followed, similar crashes were noted on the QEW in Niagara and Highway 427 in the Greater Toronto Area. Thankfully, no fatalities occurred in those two incidents.
“Those continue to be under investigation. Obviously, the ramps have all been cleaned and cleared by the road maintenance contractors through the MTO,” said OPP Sergeant Kerry Schmidt. “The OPP work collaboratively with them all the time as well.”
This brings the total number of dangerous guardrail crashes to four within just one week, making it a hectic time for OPP, who mentioned that driver error has been a factor in each incident.
“The collisions themselves do point towards driver error in all situations, where the drivers ended up losing control on a road that was being travelled by the motoring public in these four instances,” Schmidt said.
At that time of these crashes in Kitchener, Schmidt noted that “The roads were in good shape; obviously snow on the shoulders, but the highways themselves had been plowed and salted, and traffic had been getting through there throughout the weekend.”
A crash Jan. 30 on the ramp from Fort Erie-bound QEW to Highway 420. (OPP Highway Safety Division/X)
This has prompted OPP to remind drivers to adjust their speed according to winter conditions and urged people to slow down while driving carefully when weather demands it.
“It’s something that we’re certainly keeping an eye on and really it’s MTO and road maintenance contractors who are responsible for snow plowing, clearing snow away, and removing piles of snow where needed.”
This comes as Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) reported responding to more collisions across its region this winter than during all of last season combined.
The investigations led by OPP are still ongoing while Ministry of Transportation (MTO) is also “reviewing winter maintenance operations” from when these crashes occurred.
570 News Radio has reached out to MTO for updates regarding its efforts along with ongoing snow-clearing actions; however after multiple attempts no response has yet been received.
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