Driver escaped from the cab uninjured, now faces a careless driving charge
The westbound and eastbound express lanes on Highway 401 in Pickering near Whites Road and Rouge River are closed due to a tractor-trailer fire. (Tony Smyth/CBC News)
The driver escaped both the collision and the blaze near Whites Road without any serious injuries, Toronto district fire chief Stephan Powell said.
The eastbound lanes reopened by 8:15 a.m., but Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said that the westbound lanes would likely be closed until the early afternoon.
Shortly before 3 p.m., Schmidt tweeted that the westbound express lanes had finally reopened.
Schmidt said the driver of the tractor-trailer now faces a charge of careless driving. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.
Hwy401 WB express at Whites Rd is reopened
— Sgt Kerry Schmidt (@OPP_HSD) October 13, 2016
Fire trucks from Toronto and Pickering responded to the blaze, which they learned of around 4 a.m. and Ontario Provincial Police arrived to help manage traffic.
Powell said that the fire broke out in the back of the vehicle.
Source: CBC News Toronto