TORONTO —
A 24-year-old man is dead after a flying wheel struck his vehicle while he was driving on a major highway in Toronto.
According to Ontario Provincial Police, a wheel of a trailer that was being towed by a pickup truck travelling westbound on Highway 401 around McCowan and Markham roads detached and crossed over into the eastbound express lanes.
The wheel struck another vehicle, police said, and the male driver died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash.
OPP Acting Sgt. Dan Hunter said that it appears as though some of the wheel studs snapped off the trailer and that the others still intact were in poor shape.
When [wheels] do come off, theyre travelling at highway speed, just the same as the vehicle, Hunter said. If they manage to get off into the opposing lane of traffic, into the oncoming traffic, its closing speed is twice what it should be.
So your reaction time is very, very short, if you have any time at all, to take evasive action.
Hunter said that officers have located the pickup truck and are speaking with the driver.
However we are still looking for any witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage, he said.
Police said the eastbound express lanes of the highway are expected to be closed for several hours.read more
Driver dead after flying wheel strikes vehicle on Highway 401 in Toronto – CTV Toronto
