Drivers stranded on 401 as blizzard pounds parts of southwestern Ontario

Drivers travelling on Highway 401 in southwestern Ontario found themselves stranded for hours as a major snowstorm hit the region Thursday, causing collisions and closures. 

Motorists who spoke to CBC News from their vehicles said they called local and provincial police many times but received no answers, adding they weren't prepared to be stuck for such a long time. 

"We are now many hours deep into this, sitting still on the road, and nobody has come to check on us," said Craig Sears in an interview from the 401, where he sat with his wife and son en route to Sarnia. 

"I'm a diabetic and we have our son with us who has Aspergers, so he's feeling uncomfortable. It's super anxious for him because we've literally been sitting here for five hours, not getting any responses from police," Sears said.

London and the surrounding area faced multiple road closures, crashes and difficult driving conditions throughout the afternoon and night as heavy snowfall blanketed the region. Environment Canada expected an additional 30 cm to fall by morning, with the squalls continuing. 

A multi-vehicle crash closed the westbound lanes of Highway 401 near Ingersoll in the afternoon, with police keeping them closed until almost 6 p.m. The Ontario Provincial Police said one person was taken to hospital in critical condition. 

"I can tell everybody who's stranded right now, their patience is running thin, I totally understand that," OPP Sgt. Ed Sanchuk said, urging drivers to stay in their vehicles and be patient. 

"We have officers turning traffic around on our highway right now, and we have officers strategically placed to get people off the highway in a safe manner. But please bear with us, we're working as diligently as possible to get the highway cleared." 

Traffic 'at a standstill,' drivers say 

Jackie Lemmink was stuck on the 401, east of London, for more than six hours while officers dealt with the crash. She witnessed multiple additional collisions in front of her before traffic came to a stop. 

"It doesn't look like anything's moving," she told CBC London's Afternoon Drive from her vehicle. "There are trucks upon trucks, and there's so much traffic that's at a standstill. People are starting to come out of their cars to find out what's going on because we don't have any idea."  

Lemmink, who was on her way to Michigan, said she opted not to take county roads because she assumed the 401 would be safer due to constantly moving traffic. 

"I always thought the 401 is safer because they'll put down salt and they've prepared for this. The snow is quite high and it's quite icy everywhere. I'm not prepared to be stuck here." 

Sears said he was forced to turn off his car to save fuel at the five-hour mark of waiting. He said traffic had begun to crawl slowly around 8 p.m. but that the conditions were still poor.

"It's insane because I've called [police] multiple times. Shouldn't they check on people? Nobody should ever be trapped in their vehicle on a highway for this long, there's no excuse for it," he said. 

Police continued to warn people to stay off the roads and to only travel if absolutely necessary.