Police deal with dozens of collisions on snow-covered Ottawa roads Tuesday morning

Ottawa Fire Services said firefighters responded to 50 collisions across the city, some of which involved extrication. (Ottawa Fire Services/X)

Ottawa police are urging drivers to be cautious, as roads are snow-covered and slippery Tuesday morning.

Roads are snow-covered Tuesday morning after more than 10 centimetres of snow fell on Ottawa overnight in a spring snowstorm.

“We have reports of multiple collisions this morning. Please slow down and increase your stopping distance,” police urged.

Ottawa police reported 52 crashes that required a police response between midnight and 9:30 a.m., with all but one occurring since 6 a.m. Tuesday. Police said this does not include those that were directly referred to collision reporting centres, nor those in OPP and RCMP jurisdiction, such as Highway 417 or the NCC parkways, respectively.

The Ottawa OPP said they responded to 18 collisions between 5 and 11 a.m.

Ottawa Fire Services said some of the crashes required their assistance to extricate people who were trapped in vehicles.

Among them was a crash on Boundary Road between Thunder and Mitch Owens roads involving a school bus. Ottawa police said no children were on the school bus at the time. Boundary Road was closed in the area for the crash.

The road reopened at around 8:45 a.m.

Crash detours 12 OC Transpo routes

A collision in the west end where buses join with the Kichi Zibi Mikan led to significant detours for OC Transpo riders Tuesday morning.

The crash was in the area of the Transitway where it joins the west-end parkway near the Ottawa River. A traffic camera image from the area showed several buses backed up.

“Shortly before 6:40 a.m., a bus travelling on the Kichi Zibi Mikan was involved in a multi-vehicle collision. No injuries have been reported and all 8 passengers were transferred to another bus to continue on their journey,” a statement from OC Transpo said. “A review is underway better understand the circumstances that led to this morning’s incident. Bus service travelling through the affected area was placed on detour until approximately 8:30 a.m. This resulted in extended travel times due to high traffic in the surrounding area.”

The Kichi Zibi Mikan was experiencing significant backups through the morning commute hours. Eastbound lanes were closed in the area.

OC Transpo said the collision meant detours for a dozen routes.

Routes 57, 61, 62, 63, 64, 66, 67, 73, 74, 75, 82, 87, and 164 heading to Tunney’s Pasture were being detoured, according to OC Transpo’s website.

The crash was in RCMP jurisdiction, but Ottawa police, who were on scene to assist, said multiple vehicles were involved, but there were no reported injuries.

“With current road conditions, trip times may be longer. Plan ahead, allow extra time and be careful boarding, exiting, and at station platforms,” OC Transpo said.