Highway 401 reopened east of Toronto after series of collisions involving 50 vehicles

A series of collisions involving about 50 vehicles on Tuesday morning forced a prolonged closure of Highway 401 in both directions east of Toronto, Ontario Provincial Police said.

Police said there was no indication that the crashes caused life-threatening or serious injuries, but several people were brought to hospital with minor injuries.

An update Tuesday night announced that eastbound lanes had finally reopened in the Quinte West area after being closed for most of the day.

Hours earlier, the OPP said that westbound lanes had reopened.

An emergency detour route was activated, and a warming centre was made available at the Trenton Arena for stranded motorists as emergency services crews checked on stranded vehicles.

The collisions took place as the area around Toronto continues to recover from a major winter storm that saw record-breaking snowfall on Sunday.

Sgt. Erin Cranton warned drivers in a video posted on social media that this was “a very clear reminder of how important it is to slow down and give space between you and the vehicle in front of you.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 27, 2026.

The Canadian Press