Four serious crashes in the last four weeks on Highway 401 west of Ayr, Ont.

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Kitchener tow truck driver killed on Highway 401

Tow operators urge drivers to slow down and pay attention on the road

Fatal crash on Hwy 401 near Drumbo

Drivers stuck in closures on Highway 401 for hours

Liquid asphalt leaks onto Highway 401

Driver killed in rear-end crash near Drumbo

Investigation underway into fatal Highway 401 crash

Lane closures on Highway 401 have been an all-too-common occurrence between Ayr and Drumbo.

There have been four serious crashes along that stretch of road in just the last four weeks.

The latest happened on Dec. 9.

According to Ontario Provincial Police, an SUV, pickup truck and transport truck collided around 6:37 p.m. in the eastbound lanes near Oxford Road 3. One driver was taken to hospital with serious injuries and, in an update Thursday, police said their condition was still listed as life-threatening.

The investigation continues into the circumstances surrounding that collision.

On Dec. 3, a tow truck driver was killed by a hit-and-run driver near Oxford Road 3. OPP said the 42-year-old Kitchener man was helping a stranded motorist when he was struck by a passing vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police later released an image of a transport truck they called “a vehicle of interest.”

The next day, OPP announced they had identified the driver but did not say if they would be charged for the fatal crash.

“No further information will be released at this time as the investigation continues,” Sgt. Ed Sanchuk said in a video posted to social media.

On Nov. 28, multiple crashes were reported in the highway’s westbound lanes between Cedar Creek Road and Oxford Road 29/Drumbo Road.

“One commercial motor vehicle that was carrying 40,000 litres of liquid asphalt is current leaking,” Sanchuk explained in a social media video. “We do have our specialists on scene containing that spill, the Ministry of Environment has been notified but, more importantly, there are going to be intermittent highway closures here to allow for this cleanup.”

The collision tied up traffic on the highway for most of the day, with some drivers stuck for hours in the westbound lanes.

No injuries were reported.

On Nov. 13, emergency responders were called to another fatal crash on Highway 401 just east of Blenheim Road.

A transport truck slammed into the back of a flatbed truck. The driver of that transport truck, a 26-year-old man from Brampton, died at the scene. The other driver was not hurt.