Driver charged after transport truck crashes, bursts into flames on Highway 401 in Mississauga
The driver of a transport truck that crashed and caught fire on Highway 401 in Mississauga on Sunday has been charged with careless driving, Ontario Provincial Police say.
The driver suffered a minor cut to the hand but the truck sustained massive damage, according to the OPP's Sgt. Kerry Schmidt, spokesperson for its highway safety division.
"Fortunately, no serious injuries," Schmidt said in a tweet.
The highway was closed for several hours after the crash but a section has since reopened.
The OPP says the burned shell of the truck has now been removed, and westbound lanes at Erin Mills remain closed while the the roadway remediation is underway.
Schmidt said the transport truck driver, travelling westbound, lost control just past Erin Mills Parkway and crashed into a "crash cushion" or concrete barrier, then his vehicle rolled over in a construction zone on Highway 401 at Winston Churchill Boulevard.
The truck was carrying large rolls of paper that caught fire and smouldered. The concrete barrier or wall was broken in several places and sections were pushed nearly into the ditch.
The crash also caused a grass fire. Firefighters had to drag hoses over a ditch to connect to the nearest hydrant.
