Eastbound lanes of Highway 417 reopen after 2 vehicle crash in Ottawa

A two-vehicle crash closed the eastbound lanes of Highway 417, causing traffic gridlock across Ottawa. CTV’s Stefan Keyes reports.

The eastbound lanes of Highway 417 reopened to traffic in Ottawa’s downtown area Thursday afternoon, after a two-vehicle crash closed the highway for four hours.

Emergency crews responded to a call for a crash in the left lane of Highway 417 just before Nicholas Street at 11:55 a.m.

An Ottawa Paramedic Service spokesperson said the call was for a vehicle that was rear-ended on the highway, and the vehicle then struck the median.

The driver of one of the vehicles was transported to hospital with life-threatening injuries. The paramedic spokesperson said it’s believed the driver was struck by items that were inside the vehicle.

In an update on X, police said the injured driver remains in hospital in critical but stable condition.

The Ministry of Transportation camera showed one vehicle stopped on the highway, with the vehicle facing across the fast lane.

Ontario Provincial Police initially closed two lanes of the highway for the investigation, but all eastbound lanes were closed just before 2 p.m. for the investigation.

Traffic in the eastbound lanes of Highway 417 was backed up from Metcalfe to Woodroffe Avenue.

Ontario Provincial Police continue to investigate the crash.