Numerous collisions in Hamilton, surrounding areas Monday

Our regions saw numerous collisions on the highway and in Hamilton on Monday. At least 13 vehicles were involved in the crashes, with at least three people sent to trauma centres.

OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt says late Monday afternoon, a 52-year-old woman was taken to a trauma centre with serious injuries after two vehicles crashed between the Fairview Street and QEW 403 Niagara cutoff. Schmidt says the black sedan was moving slowly on the shoulder and made a late turn onto the Fairview Street exit lane. The transport truck then struck the driver’s side and Schmidt adds first responders had to cut open the car to set her free.

Earlier Monday morning, an 8-car pile-up involving a vacuum truck and an empty school bus occurred on the 403 westbound off-ramp near Upper Middle Road in Oakville.

READ MORE: Highway 403 collision involving 8 vehicles sends 6 to hospital

“I believe the vehicles were just stuck at the bottom of the ramp, the vacuum truck came down that ramp, hit a vehicle pushed it forward into other vehicles into a school bus as well, all 8 vehicles were damaged,” Schmidt said.

According to the OPP, six people were sent to hospital including one sent to a trauma centre. First responders and tow operators spent the day pulling a completely totaled vehicle and the vacuum truck out of the ditch. Schmidt says the tanker had no mechanical defects and charges are pending to the driver. He adds drivers involved have non-serious injuries.

Hamilton police a 35-year-old man is in hospital in critical but stable condition following a three-vehicle crash on the escarpment hill portion of Centennial. Dale Pennington says he was on his way to work heading northbound downhill and says he saw a pickup truck cross over and smashed into an SUV.

READ MORE: Centennial Parkway closed after crash sends two men to hospital

Pennington says another vehicle was hit. Hamilton police say another person went to hospital with minor injuries. “It looked like a fatality when the dust settled, with all that was going on, the horn kept going, it was a bad situation,” Pennington said.

Schmidt says weather did not impact any of the crashes, “it either comes down to mechanical issue or driver error today and in both these situations, it’s driver error the likely contributing factor.”