Winter storm warning

A winter storm warning has been issued for Hamilton, Burlington and Oakville. Environment Canada says the Hamilton and Burlington areas could see as much as 25 centimeters of snow. And some snow has already been falling throughout the day. In downtown Hamilton, traffic was moving slowly and people were watching their every step.

But conditions were far worse in the Niagara Region. Lake effect snow looked like a blizzard and took everyone by surprise. Within minutes of the snow accumulating on the roadways the crashes started happening. One of the worst was on Highway 406 near the Pen Centre. Four vehicles were involved. Two people were injured, one reportedly with fractured
wrists and another with back and neck pain.

This crash at Glendale blocked Highway 58. The only thing people could do was wait until the mess was cleaned up.

Further up the road in the opposite direction, another multi-vehicle collision at Fourth Avenue blocked lanes and backed up traffic for kilometres. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured.

Tow truck driver Steve Harris was running from one crash to another. “It’s been pretty much going up and down the 406. Just taking everybody out of a ditch or off a guardrail.”

Now it’s been treacherous driving on Niagara Region roads as well. Within three hours of this snow moving into Niagara, police responded to nearly two dozen collisions.

Pat Barba watched as four vehicles got smashed up at Oakdale Avenue in St. Catharines. It all started with this beige van losing control on the icy road. “The roads were slippery. I was driving slow and my car was having trouble staying on the road. The Otis vehicle here was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and kind of clipped the individual’s bumper there.”

This car lost a tire when it slammed into the curb. And later in the afternoon, four vehicles crashed into each other coming down Sand Plant Hill on the QEW in Niagara Falls.

There were crashes all over the place. A Volkswagon spun out on the Garden City Skyway and wound up facing the wrong direction and thatès a scary situarion to be in.