24 drivers charged with driving the wrong way on Highway 403 on-ramp during traffic backup

Several vehicles were photographed on a ramp in Brantford, Ont. on March 11, 2026. (Courtesy: Brantford Police Service)

More than two dozen drivers are facing charges for making bad decisions while police responded to a collision on Highway 403 near Brantford.

The eastbound lanes were closed along part of the highway near Garden Avenue on Wednesday morning while the Ontario Provincial Police dealt with a crash.

The closure caused a significant traffic backup on the highway.

“Unfortunately, some drivers decided that waiting like everyone else simply wasn’t an option… and instead chose a creative solution — driving the wrong way down a one-way on-ramp to get around the traffic,” a social media post from the Brantford Police Service said.

“Our officers were there to greet them,” it continued.

In all, police charged 24 people with driving the wrong way on a one-way, while two drivers were charged for backing up on an on-ramp, and one person was charged for driving without a licence.

“In fact, officers handed out so many tickets that they actually ran out of printer paper in the cruiser,” the post said.

The fine for driving the wrong way on a one-way is $110 and three demerit points.