Driver dies after going over snowbank and crashing onto highway below in Ontario

One person has died after they lost control on a highway ramp, launched over a snow embankment and crashed on the highway below in Ontario.

The crash happened on the westbound Highway 7 flyover to Highway 8 southbound in Kitchener at around 7:30 a.m. on Monday, Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said on X.

The driver, a 38-year-old woman from Waterloo, was pronounced dead after the crash, Schmidt said in an update.

“The driver lost control, ended up ramping up over the embankment and down onto the highway below,” Schmidt said.

The flyover was expected to remain closed throughout the day while crews assess its safety.

Schmidt said this was the second driver to go over the embankment since the snow started on Sunday.

A taxi driver also went over the embankment and crashed on the highway below at around 2 a.m. on Monday, Schmidt said in an update. The taxi driver sustained minor injuries, he said.

In a huge storm, there is sometimes no place to move snow.

“Plows are coming through, pushing that snow to the side,” Schmidt said. “In this case, they can’t push it over the wall because it would go down onto the highway below and so it is pushed up against the edge.”

The snow will be removed, but it will take time, he added. He reminded drivers to take precautions on overpasses, which can be icier than other parts of the road.

If vehicles lose control on the slippery road, the buildup of snow can create a “launch,” making it easier to go over the concrete wall and land on the highway below.

Fatal collision: WB #Hwy7 flyover to Hwy8 SB. Kitchener.
Local resident pronounced deceased after losing control of the vehicle on the ramp and launching over the snow embankment to the highway below. Ramp closed for investigation. Updates to follow. ^ks pic.twitter.com/t4UMXyiHLW

— OPP Highway Safety Division (@OPP_HSD) January 26, 2026

Lead photo: OPP screen shot