Fatal collision investigation on QEW in Hamilton, portion of road closed

A 24-year-old Stoney Creek woman is dead, following a multi-vehicle collision on a snowy Queen Elizabeth Way in Hamilton on Thursday night.

Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said it happened on the highway near Centennial Parkway just before 7 p.m.. Two drivers collided. One exited her vehicle to speak to the other driver, and was struck by a third motorist who had swerved to avoid the crash scene.

“Sadly, we are investigating a fatal pedestrian crash,” Schmidt said. “There was, obviously, snow coming down at the time, roads were not in great condition. There was a two-vehicle collision. We understand that one of the persons exited their vehicle — stayed on the highway — to speak to the other driver. While they were attending the other vehicle, a third vehicle approach, swerved to avoid that vehicle that was essentially blocking the lane, that was unoccupied and had no lights on, and sadly struck that pedestrian.

“This is certainly a very tragic situation.”

As of 11:53 p.m. on Thursday, all Fort Erie-bound bound QEW lanes remain closed between Nikola Tesla Boulevard and Centennial Parkway. The Toronto-bound two right lanes were closed for nearly five hours before reopening just minutes before midnight.

UPDATE: COLLISION: #QEW #Hamilton: all Toronto-bound lanes at Nicola Tesla Blvd have REOPENED. Fort Erie bound lanes remain closed between Nicola Tesla Blvd and Centennial Parkway. ^nk

— OPP GTA Traffic (@OPP_GTATraffic) February 18, 2022

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The Burlington OPP are seeking witnesses to the collision. If you have a dashcam or are a witness, Burlington OPP can be reached at 905-681-2511.

A two vehicle minor collision on the #QEW turned fatal after a 24 year old from Stoney Creek was struck by a third vehicle after she exited her car intending to speak to the driver of the first car involved. If you have dash cam or are a witness call #BurlingtonOPP 905-681-2511 pic.twitter.com/18k8JDfgO3

— OPP Highway Safety Division (@OPP_HSD) February 18, 2022

Schmidt added that OPP collision recontruction team has begun an investigation. A collision reconstruction investigation can often lead to closures lasting several hours, and that was expected to be the case on Thursday night.

Weather and slippery conditions were a factor in the fatal collision, Schmidt said. He added that drivers who are involved in a collision on a highway, particularly in bad weather, should first try to get their vehicle off of the road.

“A reminder to everyone — if you are involved in a collision, especially in conditions like this, you need to try to get your vehicle to a safe location. Call 911, or 511 if you need a tow truck, depending on where you are, and do not become a pedestrian on the highway.

“We’re still trying to determine what happened here but we want drivers to remember that the best place to be in situations like these is inside the safety cage of your vehicle, unless you can determine you can make it to safety. Standing outside of your vehicle is a very dangerous place to be, especially in conditions such as those that we are experiencing.”

Fatal collision #QEW /Centennial Pkwy. Driver involved in a collision was struck by another vehicle after exiting her car. #BurlingtonOPP investigating.
https://t.co/N16HR4ixiJ

— OPP Highway Safety Division (@OPP_HSD) February 18, 2022

CORRECTION: COLLISION: #QEW #Hamilton: the road is closed in both directions between Nicola Tesla Blvd and Centennial Parkway following a collision. #OPP on scene. Reopening time unknown. ^nk pic.twitter.com/7vUBSJPtvJ

— OPP GTA Traffic (@OPP_GTATraffic) February 18, 2022

UPDATE: COLLISION: #QEW #Hamilton: all Fort Erie bound lanes remain closed between Nicola Tesla Blvd and Centennial Parkway following a collision. Toronto-bound two right lanes remain closed just before Nicola Tesla Blvd. Updates will be provided as they become available. ^nk

— OPP GTA Traffic (@OPP_GTATraffic) February 18, 2022

Environment Canada issued a snowfall warning for Hamilton, estimating 10 to 20 cm of snow could fall from Thursday night till Friday morning. However, there is also a chance of heavy snow at times, as well as blowing snow.