‘It could have been much worse,’ says Oro-Medonte fire chief; five people transported by ambulance to RVH in Barrie, and sixth person taken to Orillia hospital
Local emergency services are expressing relief after a massive 40-vehicle pileup on Highway 11 just north of Barrie this morning ended without serious injuries.
According to Oro-Medonte Fire Chief Roree Payment, five people were taken by ambulance to Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre in Barrie, while a sixth person was taken to Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital.
The incident had the potential to be significantly worse, he acknowledged.
“The trapped occupants were on the opposite side of the transport truck on fire. A window was broken to remove them, and the three vehicles that were on fire had started the cab of the transport truck carrying gasoline on fire,” Payment said.
“The potential was quite large, but just due to the professionalism and the working arrangements we have with our neighbours and our emergency partners, we did bring the situation to a close quickly and safely,” the chief added.
Emergency crews tend to a 40-vehicle pileup on Highway 11 north of Barrie on Friday. . Photo from Roree Payment via X
Crews responded to the multi-vehicle crash on Highway 11 southbound, just north of Penetanguishene Road around 10:30 a.m., he said, noting weather conditions — including poor visibility and blowing snow — and road conditions all played a role in the crash.
Weather conditions can change in an instant, added Payment, which is why drivers should always remain alert and adjust their speed and driving habits accordingly.
“Most of the way to the call was clear. Then we got on the highway and all of a sudden the whiteout conditions started pretty quick,” he said.
According to Payment, officials received reports that one person was trapped inside a vehicle, a fuel tanker was involved, and multiple vehicles were on fire, impinging on the fuel tanker.
“We arrived on scene and with the assistance of Barrie Fire, we were able to control the blaze,” he said.
Three stations from Oro-Medonte, in addition to three trucks from Barrie, responded to the call, totalling approximately 12 apparatus and 35 firefighters, said Payment.
Motorists were evacuated from nearby vehicles with help from County of Simcoe Paramedic Services and Ontario Provincial Police, he added.
Oro-Medonte Station No. 1 has been opened as a warming centre to approximately 15 stranded motorists and the highway is closed, Payment said, adding it is expected to remain closed for several hours.
“Part of the guardrail was cut so that we could start to divert traffic away from the fire, so the guardrail will have to be repaired,” said Payment.
As of just before 1 p.m., Payment said three transport trucks, another commercial vehicle and several passenger vehicles still needed to be removed from the crash site.
Responding to a crash in these types of conditions can often present a challenge, he added.
“Road conditions can cause delays in responding in a timely manner,” said Payment, adding other factors, such as trying not to get caught in the same incident themselves, can also present a perilous situation.
“Just due to the elapsed time that’s happened, it’s possible that the stopped traffic and the vehicles moved themselves up to Line 1 or 2, just due to the volume of traffic that attends this road,” he said. “The accident location can move very rapidly.”
When there is such a large and spread-out scene, as was the case this morning, access becomes an issue.
“The traffic was stopped from Line 2 up to (Highway) 93, so when we are trying to deal with fires and trapped occupants, as well as trying to do vehicle-by-vehicle searches to confirm injuries and that occupants are out of vehicles, access becomes a big problem,” the chief said.
Payment said crews were able to co-ordinate with OPP to get the northbound lanes shut down in order to use it as a thoroughfare to not only get emergency vehicles into the scene, but also to evacuate motorists.
“This was just another great example of how all of the agencies can work together to achieve a favourable outcome at an incident,” he said.
Oro-Medonte Township has since declared a significant weather event due to current and forecasted conditions. As a result, snow plows have been temporarily removed from township roadways and several roads have been closed.
Rapidly deteriorating conditions can seriously impact visibility, and winter storms can cause road conditions to change rapidly, noted township official, who are suggesting residents avoid all non-essential travel.