Heavy snow and treacherous conditions resulted in multiple crashes on Highway 11 in Orillia, forcing a partial closure of the roadway.
Orillia OPP noted that the southbound lane between Old Barrie Road and Coldwater Road was closed due to a collision.
OPP Central Region later announced that the northbound lane would also be shut down, with officers on the scene working to remove impacted vehicles from the roadway.
It’s unclear how many vehicles were involved in the collisions, but OPP Detective Sergeant Jacob Daynes referred to them as “serious.”
Photos from the highway show heavy snow accumulation and stopped vehicles. Orillia was one of several southeastern Ontario regions under a snow squall warning as of Friday, with 10 to 20 cm of snow forecasted until the evening.
The road closure is expected to be in place for much of Friday. OPP Central Region said motorists are asked to follow directions from emergency services and road closures.
“OPP remind all motorists that numerous surrounding roads are experiencing heavy call volume and other collisions.”
