A two-vehicle crash on Highway 401 in Quinte West has claimed the lives of three people — a 25-year-old man, a 22-year-old woman, and an eight-month-old child — and seriously injured a four-year-old child, say police.
On Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, Quinte West OPP issued a release confirming the fatalities.
According to police, the collision happened around 1:15 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, on the westbound lanes of the highway, west of the County Road 40 interchange. Police said a minivan collided with the rear of a tractor-trailer.
Traffic in the area was slowed or stopped due to a prior collision further west, said police.
In addition to police, the fire department and paramedics responded to the scene.
Two people in the minivan — the 25-year-old man and the 22-year-old woman — were pronounced deceased at the scene, reported OPP.
An eight-month-old child was later pronounced deceased at the hospital, said police.
Police said a four-year-old child was airlifted to a trauma centre in Toronto with serious injuries. All are from Laval, Que., added police.
Police said the driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured.
The crash and investigation shut down the highway for several hours.
Police said their investigation is continuing, with help from OPP members trained in collision reconstruction and members of the technical collision investigation team, in conjunction with the Office of the Chief Coroner.
No other details were released by police.
(Written by: Sarah Hyatt)
