Truck Accident Closes Highway 17 Near Renfrew

Ottawa

A truck accident close to the town of Renfrew has resulted in the closure of Highway 17 and a fuel spill near the Bonnechere River, according to police.

Highway shut down between Bruce Street and O’Brien Road

· Posted: Mar 18, 2026 2:50 PM EDT | Last Updated: 29 minutes ago

Estimated 1 minute

Ontario Provincial Police say Highway 17 is closed after a tractor-trailer crashed near a bridge over the Bonnechere River near Renfrew, Ont., causing a fuel spill. (Mathieu Deroy/CBC)

A truck accident close to the town of Renfrew has resulted in the closure of Highway 17 and a fuel spill near the Bonnechere River, according to police.

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) reported around 1:45 p. m. that the highway was blocked off between Bruce Street and O’Brien Road.

The single-vehicle incident caused some axles to detach from the trailer and led to an unknown amount of fuel spilling, OPP stated. Firefighters were on site working to manage the spill, and officials from the Environment Ministry had been informed.

CBC has reached out to the ministry for information about whether any fuel made its way into the river. The ministry indicated it’s preparing a response.

Ontario’s Ministry of Environment is among those responding to the crash. (OPP)

Footage from the scene shows part of the trailer resting on top of the bridge’s parapet.

Authorities said that this highway closure might be lengthy since transportation officials will need to inspect a highway bridge before it can reopen. Meanwhile, drivers are being redirected through Renfrew.

The truck driver was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure, police mentioned.

Motorists were advised to pick an alternate route. (Mathieu Deroy/CBC)

With files from Mathieu Deroy, Andrew Foote and Guy Quenneville

Corrections and clarifications·Submit a news tip·Report error

Source link