On Thursday, Northumberland OPP were engaged in multiple incidents, including a serious multi-vehicle collision on Highway 401 between Cobourg and Port Hope that resulted in one fatality. Additionally, a three-car accident on nearby County Road 28 sent three individuals to the hospital and resulted in the death of a family pet.
At 9:40 a.m., police responded to a crash on County Road 18 in Port Hope, where they discovered two severely damaged vehicles and a third vehicle in a ditch on the west side of the roadway. Emergency Medical Services treated three occupants, who were subsequently transported to a local hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. Sadly, a family pet did not survive the incident. The road was closed at the intersection of County Road 9 and Boundary Road until midday to facilitate the investigation and the work of clean-up crews.
Meanwhile, emergency responders were dispatched to a significant collision on Highway 401, west of Burnham Street, involving approximately 15 passenger vehicles and several tractor trailers. Five individuals were taken to the hospital for medical attention, while a 70-year-old man from Colborne tragically lost his life in the incident.
The highway remained closed throughout the day, with diversions established at Burnham Street as Technical Collision Investigation teams arrived to assess the situation and environmental cleanup efforts commenced. Traffic on the highway was not permitted until 2:45 a.m. on Friday.
Investigations are currently in progress, and the police are appealing to anyone who may have observed the collisions or has video or dash camera evidence to contact the Northumberland OPP Detachment at 1-888-310-1122. Individuals affected by these incidents or who witnessed the collisions can reach Victim Services of Peterborough and Northumberland at (705) 748-0324.