Pothole leads to flat tires for a dozen motorists on Hwy. 401 in Toronto

About 12 vehicles saw tire failures and deflations on Highway 401 in Toronto on Tuesday morning after hitting a deep pothole on the roadway.

OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said the pothole was discovered in the eastbound collector lanes near Yonge Street.

“There was about a dozen vehicle involved in the initial response that hit that pothole,” Schmidt told CP24 on Tuesday morning. “(It) resulted in tire failures and deflations, obviously people getting caught by surprise.”

He said crews with the Ministry of Transportation were called in to repair the damaged roadway. The left lane was blocked for a few hours while the work was underway but all lanes have since reopened.

“I talked to an officer who also responded to the situation and felt the pothole himself and was surprised he didn’t have a flat,” Schmidt said.

“It was certainly a challenging situation.”