Crash closes QEW southbound

A serious crash on the Queen Elizabeth Way Wednesday afternoon created a big backup just in time for the start of the evening commute.

All southbound lanes of the QEW were closed near the Lyons Creek Road exit until about 9:30pm. Four vehicles were involved in the crash. One man was trapped under the dashboard of his minivan. He had to be pulled out by the fire department. He was rushed to Erie County Medical Centre in Buffalo in critical condition. An Ornge helicopter was dispatched but it was recalled when it was decided that it would take too long to arrive. Two other people were taken to local hospitals. Traffic was being diverted onto Montrose Road and drivers were getting off the highway before the McLeod exit.

And to stretch Niagara emergency resources even further, there was another crash on a Niagara highway just an hour after the first. This one was on the southbound 406 at Highway 20 in Thorold. A transport truck flipped over on its side.