Loose wheel strikes SUV on QEW, leaving American driver dead

OPP continue to investigate after a wheel separated from a pickup truck and struck another vehicle, killing one of the occupants and injuring another.

An American driver is dead after a loose wheel struck their SUV on Queen Elizabeth Way in St. Catharines Tuesday morning.

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said it happened in the Toronto-bound lanes, just east of Niagara Street, shortly before 12 p.m.

The incident resulted in an hours-long closure of the highway in both directions. The Fort Erie-bound and Toronto-bound lanes reopened at 6:15 p.m. and 6:45 p.m., respectively.

Speaking to CP24, OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said the front wheel of a pickup truck headed for Niagara Falls detached and crossed into oncoming traffic before the crash.

The wheel then struck an SUV that was carrying two American citizens, he said. The 53-year-old driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The 52-year-old passenger was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Meanwhile, the driver of the pickup truck, a 33-year-old resident of Niagara Falls, N.Y., was arrested and charged with detached part and operating an unsafe vehicle. The charges have not been tested in court.

Schmidt said the incident is a reminder of the importance of making sure your vehicle’s parts are secure after performing any maintenance on it.

“There’s nothing, really, drivers can do (in a situation like this). It just happens so quickly. And you really have no time to react, seeing something coming at you at twice the speed limit,” he said.

Police are also asking anyone who witnessed the crash to contact them.