A driver has been charged after a detached wheel from an SUV crossed the median on Highway 401 in Clarington and crashed into an oncoming vehicle, leaving two people injured.
Ontario Provincial Police said the incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. Monday when an eastbound SUV lost a wheel and tire assembly. The loose wheel bounced into the westbound lanes and struck another SUV, crushing part of its roof.
A 70-year-old man sustained minor injuries, while his 70-year-old passenger suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to a Toronto trauma centre. Police have charged the driver of the eastbound SUV with operating a vehicle with detached parts.
The OPP’s collision reconstruction team is investigating what caused the wheel to separate. Highway 401 was temporarily closed in both directions between Mill Street and Newtonville Road before reopening later in the afternoon.