Fiery Gardiner collision leaves 68-year-old man dead, 4 others injured

Toronto police say one vehicle flipped over in the westbound lanes near Yonge and Lower Jarvis streets shortly after 5:30 p.m.

A 68-year-old man is dead following a fiery multi-vehicle collision on the Gardiner Expressway Tuesday evening.

It happened in the westbound lanes near Yonge Street just after 5:30 p.m.

“Information at this time indicated that several vehicles were on fire and individuals were possibly trapped in the vehicles,” said Toronto police Acting Insp. Phil Sinclair of the Traffic Services Unit.

Video shared with CTV News Toronto shows at least five vehicles involved in the collision. In the footage, a car flipped on its side in the median is engulfed in flames as the fire spreads into a pickup truck.

Several people can be seen getting out of the vehicles and attempting to help others out. Debris is strewn across the highway.

One driver was pronounced dead at the scene. He has not been identified.

Four people were taken to hospital with injuries varying from minor to serious. Two others were treated by paramedics at the scene, but not transported to hospital.

“This is obviously a very, very tragic situation which occurred on the highway, a very tragic situation for our first responders as well, and this is a very tough one for us,” the inspector said.

“The events that led up to this collision are currently under investigation.”

Chopper 24 captured several charred vehicles after the fire had been put out.

Sinclair said investigators would be looking into all the possible factors that may have contributed to the collision.

The highway was expected to be closed for several hours as investigators collected evidence.

“It’s a very large, complex scene, and I anticipate it’ll be quite a few more hours while our collision reconstruction unit collects physical evidence and try to collect statements and video and speak to any witnesses,” Sinclair said.

Police are asking anyone who witnessed the crash to contact them at 416-808-1900 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.