A 29-year-old truck driver has died after colliding with another transport truck that was reportedly slowing down due to traffic following an earlier collision on Highway 401 in Bowmanville early Monday morning.
The first crash happened shortly after midnight in the eastbound lanes near Liberty Street. According to OPP, a passenger vehicle became disabled in the left lane before it was rear-ended by another vehicle.
The driver and passenger of the disabled vehicle were rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. The driver and passenger of the second vehicle sustained minor, non-life-threatening injuries.
The eastbound lanes of Highway 401 were closed at Courtice Road as a result of the crash.
The second collision occurred on the 401 at Highway 418 in Clarington just after 6 a.m. OPP say that as traffic was stopped and slowing down for the closure, a transport truck rear-ended another transport truck. The truck continued on the right side, sideswiping a third transport truck.
The driver of the first vehicle, a 29-year-old from Brampton was pronounced dead at the scene
No other injuries were reported, and no other vehicles were involved.
The eastbound lanes of Highway 401 have since reopened.