Two people are dead after a multi-vehicle collision involving a tanker truck on a major toll highway north of Toronto, officials say.

The fuel tanker burst into flames on Highway 407, in Vaughan, Ont., just before 5 p.m. ET, according to the Ontario Provincial Police.

OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt told CBC Toronto the tanker apparently crossed from the westbound lanes onto the eastbound side of the highway, and was involved in a collision with a passenger vehicle.

Both vehicles burst into flames and were still smouldering hours later.

OPP said the eastbound lanes of Highway 407 from Keele Street to Dufferin Street in Vaughan were cleared for traffic at around 6 a.m. Thursday. (Kerry Schmidt/Periscope)

"I could see smoke from kilometres away as I was heading to the scene," Schmidt said later during a media availability at the scene of the crash.

He said both vehicles were "completely consumed in flames."

Police later confirmed that the driver of the fuel truck, a 41-year-old man from Brampton, and the driver of the passenger vehicle, a 49-year-old man from Mississauga, were killed in the collision.

Police are notifying next of kin and appealing for witnesses.

No one was taken to hospital, according to Kylie Doerner, a spokesperson for York Region.

Robert Kostiuk was returning home to Mississauga from work in Pickering when he saw a vehicle ahead of him go perpendicular and head toward the median.

"When I saw it driving sideways I knew that something was wrong," said Kostiuk, adding that when he saw the tanker burst into flame, he knew it was something big.

Kostiuk, who works for Ontario Power Generation, recorded the accident on his dashboard camera and posted the video to YouTube. He said he's never seen anything this bad.

The tanker was apparently carrying liquid fuel, according to deputy chief Andrew Zvanitajs of the Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service.

"When our firefighters arrived, they weren't able to get close to it because of the heat coming off of it," Zvanitajs said in a phone interview.

"But that type of heavy black smoke and that amount of flame would lead them to believe that it's a liquid fuel product of some sort ... gasoline or diesel would be the most commonly transported."

Zvanitajs said crews used specialized foam to fight the flames, which were under control by 7 p.m.

'Backed up considerably'

The highway was closed in both directions between Keele and Dufferin streets well into the evening.

"Traffic on the 407 and surrounding area is backed up considerably," Vaughan Fire said in a statement Wednesday night.

"Motorists caught in the delay are asked to remain in their vehicles and all others are being asked to avoid the area."

Schmidt said Wednesday night that the police's collision reconstruction team finished their work and cleaned up the westbound lanes but were still continuing to map evidence on the eastbound lanes as of approximately 9:30 p.m.

Fuel also remained in the fuel tanker at the time and was expected to be vacuumed out shortly, Schmidt added.

Westbound lanes were expected to be reopened within a few hours, with eastbound lanes anticipated to be reopened by morning rush hour but with lane restrictions due to work needed to repair the road deck, he said.

Previous Next

He said the extreme heat from the blast has the potential to damage not only vehicles, but the road surface itself, which may need to be repaved.

Police said delays could continue until Thursday morning.

Schmidt said there was some concern about fuel from the tanker spilling into a nearby waterway, and workers from the provincial Environment Ministry were assessing the scene.

The crash comes a year after another fatal tanker crash on Highway 400.

Three people were killed in the 14-vehicle pile up that caused a series of explosions and a raging fire in the middle of the highway's northbound lanes.