One person is dead and a section of the QEW in St. Catharines will be closed for several hours after a crash on Tuesday.
The Ontario Provincial Police said it happened in the Toronto-bound lanes of the highway, just east of Niagara Street, shortly before 12 p.m.
Speaking to CP24, OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said the front wheel of a pickup truck that was headed for Niagara Falls became detached and crossed into oncoming traffic at that time.
The wheel then struck a vehicle that was carrying two American citizens, he said. The driver, who Schmidt said was in his 50s, was pronounced dead at the scene. The passenger was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
While it’s unclear if any charges will be laid against the driver of the vehicle that lost its wheel, Schmidt said the incident is a reminder of the importance of making sure your vehicle’s parts are secure after performing any maintenance on it.
“There’s nothing, really, drivers can do (in a situation like this). It just happens so quickly. And you really have no time to react, seeing something coming at you at twice the speed limit,” he said.
The highway will be closed in both directions for approximately four hours and police are asking motorists to avoid the area. Police are also asking anyone who witnessed the crash to contact them.