A serious chain-reaction crash on Highway 403 in Mississauga left a 12-year-old boy and a 43-year-old man from the United States with life-threatening injuries Tuesday evening.
Ontario Provincial Police say two vehicles collided in the westbound lanes near Mavis Road shortly before 5 p.m. The drivers pulled onto the right shoulder and got out of their vehicles to exchange information.
Police say the situation took a serious turn when a third vehicle struck one of the cars a short time later. The impact sent the vehicle forward, hitting the man and the child, who were outside at the time.
Peel paramedics reported that both victims suffered life-threatening injuries and were rushed to trauma centres. Another person was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while the driver of the third vehicle was not hurt.
The cause of the initial collision and the circumstances that led to the second crash remain under investigation.
The crash prompted police to shut down all westbound lanes between Mavis Road and Erin Mills Parkway. The highway closure was expected to continue until about 10:30 p.m. as officers investigated the scene.