On Thursday August 13, 2020 shortly before 5 a.m., officers from the Frontenac Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), as well as Kingston Fire and Frontenac Paramedics, responded to a collision involving a tractor trailer at kilometre marker 610 on Highway 401 east. This is between the Odessa exit (599) and the Highway 38/Gardiner’s exit in Kingston (611)
The investigation has revealed that the vehicle struck the guard rail and continued into the south ditch.
The vehicle’s fuel tanks were damaged and the contents of the trailer, liquid tar, have leaked into the wetland area.
The cleanup is ongoing and the eastbound lanes of the highway are closed at County Road 6 at Odessa to Gardiners Road in Kingston and the emergency detour route is being used.
The Ministry of the Environment is managing the cleanup and the Ministry of Transportation is assisting with the road closure.
A time for the road to reopen is not known.
The driver of the tractor trailer was taken to hospital with minor injuries and charges are pending.
