Parts of QEW closed for cleanup following Friday fuel tank collision

Ontario Provincial Police said in a social media statement Saturday morning that parts of the Queen Elizabeth Way highway in Niagara would be closed for several hours while the aftermath of a fuel tanker rollover was dealt with.

The crash happened Friday on a side road in Beamsville, between Ontario Street and Victoria Avenue around 8 a.m., and initially closed only the Fort Erie bound lanes plus South Service Road at Merritt.

OPP said the vehicle, capable of carrying 50,000 litres of diesel and gasoline, was leaking fuel on the roadway and into the environment.

“Probably 30 per cent of it has leaked into the ditch,” Sgt. Kerry Schmdit said in a social media post at the scene.

Schmidt also said three vehicles are believed to have been involved in the crash, though only the driver of the truck suffered injuries.

OPP said emergency services would be drilling into the tanker trailer to remove the remaining fuel Saturday, which could take upwards of two hours.

The QEW would be closed temporarily in both directions between Victoria Avenue and Ontario Street in St. Catharines.

— with files from Don Mitchell

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