The westbound lanes of Highway 401 at Communication Road in Chatham have been reopened after a transport truck rolled over in a construction zone, causing a lengthy closure.
The OPP said the crash, which took place in the area of the Charing Cross Road overpass near mile marker 86, was first reported shortly after 5 a.m. during very foggy conditions.
Police have confirmed that a tractor-trailer rolled onto its side and caught fire, after the driver swerved to avoid hitting a deer. Officers said no injuries were reported.
The OPP said the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Transportation were both called in to help with the clean-up.
The highway was closed for several hours to allow officers to conduct an investigation and allow safe removal of the overturned vehicle. The highway was reopened to traffic shortly after 7:30 p.m.
Provincial police said drivers are reminded not to "veer for deer" following the Highway 401 crash and another similar collision on Highway 402 the same day.
Two transport truck crashes this morning as drivers swerved to avoid deer. One on Hwy. 402 near Oil Heritage Road, the other on Hwy. 401 near Hwy. 40, where the road remains closed. #RoadSafety #DontVeerForDeer ^dr pic.twitter.com/V3qunb0mnh
— OPP West (@OPP_WR) November 19, 2019
