Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation (MTO) is “reviewing winter maintenance operations” following circumstances that led to a crash on the expressway and the death of a Waterloo woman on Monday.
“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by these incidents,” said the MTO in response to a request from 570 NewsRadio.
A 38-year-old Waterloo woman was travelling on the southbound ramp from Highway 7 West to the eastbound lanes of Highway 8 when she lost control of her vehicle, went up a snow embankment, over the concrete barrier, and landed on the highway below. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Ontario Provincial Police officers who responded to the scene noted that the road conditions, specifically the snow that had been piled onto the shoulder of the ramp, played a role in the vehicle being launched onto the highway below.
“The snow and the road conditions obviously played a factor in this collision, and we’re going to continue to work with the road maintenance contractors and the MTO to make sure that situation is remedied,” said OPP Sergeant Kerry Schmidt in a post in the afternoon following the incident.
In response to this incident, the MTO noted that they’re “reviewing winter maintenance operations at the time of the incidents and will review findings of the police investigation, when available.”
The woman’s vehicle was the second to be launched from the highway ramp on Monday morning.
At around 2 a.m., a taxi cab fell from the expressway ramp onto the highway below, landing on its roof, resulting in injuries to the driver. Following that incident, the ramp was closed for an investigation, however the snow wasn’t removed, and the ramp reopened around 5 a.m.
Following the fatal collision at 7:30 a.m., snow removal crews were brought in, with the stretch of roadway closed for over 12 hours on Monday.
The flyover was reopened in time for the Tuesday morning commute, with the snow removed.
570 NewsRadio has contacted the OPP for further comment about the evolving situation.