A major crash on the Toronto-bound Queen Elizabeth Way left one person dead and created a close call for an air ambulance, a scene captured on video by a passerby.
The accident happened shortly before 7 a.m. Friday in Mississauga near Erin Mills Parkway, when a car plowed into the back of a tractor-trailer that was stopped on the shoulder. They were the only two vehicles involved.
An air ambulance came to take the victim away, but the individual died of their injuries at the scene. As a result, the patient wasn't loaded into the helicopter, the OPP said in a Friday afternoon news release.
While lifting off, the helicopter's rotor clipped some wires. The helicopter wasn’t damaged, although it will require some repairs, said Ornge, the firm operating medical helicopters across the province, in a news release. But a tail rotor failure could have left the helicopter uncontrollable.
Ornge said the Sikorsky-made helicopter will be back in service on Saturday, and that the two pilots and two paramedics aboard at the time suffered no injuries.
According to police, the tractor-trailer wasn't transporting any hazardous materials, so there were no concerns about a possible spill. The 61-year-old driver wasn't injured.
The OPP have not yet identified the 39-year-old victim, saying they are trying to notify the person's family. They are continuing to investigate the crash.
