A serious crash on Highway 17 in Petawawa on Wednesday morning has led to the full closure of the highway between Paquette Road and Brindle Road. The collision, which occurred around 9:30 a.m., involved a pickup truck and a transport truck with two fuel tanker trailers.
One of the tankers is leaking, prompting the response of a specialized environmental cleanup team. The driver of the pickup was airlifted to a regional trauma center with serious injuries.
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is advising the public to avoid the area and follow a detour from Highway 17 to Messer Trail, then Paquette Road, before returning to Highway 17.
Officers remain on scene as cleanup crews from the Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of Environment assist with the situation. The OPP has not provided an estimated time for the highway’s reopening.
An investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information or dashcam footage is urged to contact Upper Ottawa Valley OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or online at www.valleytips.ca.