Police say more than 500 collisions have been reported across Ontario as a massive winter storm hits the province.
In a tweet posted at around 1 a.m. Saturday morning, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) urged motorists to “reconsider travel plans until the weather improves and the roads are reopened.”
The force said over 500 collisions had been reported.
“Thankfully no reports of any fatalities at this time,” the tweet read. “Many road closures remain in place.”
OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said the storm that had been “blanketing Ontario all day continues into the overnight” with strong winds and whiteout conditions.
Schmidt said several road closures were in place along Highway 41, Highay 402 and in other areas across the province.
“We’ve had multiple cruisers, police vehicles involved in collisions being struck by passing vehicles that were not able to stop as a result of either visibility or slippery road conditions,” Schmidt said. “We’ve had other emergency and first responding vehicles that have been struck as well.”
Schmidt said officers were working to patrol the province’s highways and make sure no one was stranded or stuck in their vehicles overnight.
“We are working on removing vehicles including the commercial transport trucks from the highways, the highways will remain closed until all vehicles have been removed, the roads have been salted and plowed and the system has moved on and the roads are in good shape to reopen,” he said.
Schmidt said police are encouraging people to “stay home, wait for the system to pass (and) wait for the road to be maintained.”
“Do not go out unless it’s absolutely critically necessary,” he said. “We dont want to see people getting stuck and stranded, getting lost as a result of closures and detours and ending up getting stuck in areas that are not familiar with.”
Blizzard and winter storm warnings remained in place for a number of areas across Ontario on Saturday.
“If you are out on the roads drive with your full attention and all your care and capacity to make sure you get to your destination safely,” Schmidt said.
In Ontario, nearly 74,000 Hydro One customers were without power.
— With a file from The Canadian Press.
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