1 dead after Thunder Bay Highway 61 crash
3 vehicles collided at Kaministiquia River bridge Friday morning, highway re-opened around 5:30 p.m.
Ontario Provincial Police in Thunder Bay, Ont. say one person is dead and three people have been taken to hospital with serious injuries following a crash on Highway 61 at the Kaministiquia River bridge.
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OPP?src=hash">#OPP</a> closed Hwy 61 at Kaministiquia River bridge due to 3 vehicle collision. Serious injuries. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tbay?src=hash">#tbay</a> <a href="https://t.co/8dsn6miGhX">pic.twitter.com/8dsn6miGhX</a>
—@JeffWaltersCBCThe crash forced the closure of the highway in both directions between Broadway Avenue and Chippewa Road for several hours; during that time, police detoured traffic from Arthur Street to Highway 130.
CLEARED:COLLISION: Hwy 61 between Broadway Ave and Chippewa Rd <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThunderBay?src=hash">#ThunderBay</a> - Road is now OPEN. ^ag
—@OPP_COMM_NWRPolice, firefighters and paramedics were all called to the scene.
According to another release issued Friday afternoon, police said that a dark-coloured, southbound SUV collided with a northbound car at the bridge; another southbound SUV also hit the car.
The driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene, police said, while the drivers of both SUVs — a male and a female — as well as a female passenger in the car, were all taken to hospital with serious injuries.
Fire trucks have left the scene. Can see a white vehicle perpendicular to road, one vehicle flipped or on its side. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tbay?src=hash">#tbay</a>
—@JeffWaltersCBC"It simply takes some time to determine what's happened," Garr said. "We have a [technical traffic collision investigator] on-scene ... however, OPP is still on-scene."
"It just gets a bit complicated."
In addition to the crash near the Kaministiquia River, the OPP also reported another collision Friday morning along Highway 61 near Arthur Street, along the Neebing River bridge that blocked a section of the road.
That collision was cleared, and the thoroughfare re-opened, around noon.