Deadly crash results in partial rush hour closure of major Toronto highway

The southbound lanes of the Don Valley Parkway have reopened but a stretch of the westbound lanes of the Gardiner Expressway remain closed after three dump trucks collided, leaving one driver dead.

Toronto police said the crash happened around 2:17 p.m. in the westbound lanes of the Gardiner near Spadina Avenue.

One of the trucks caught fire, police said, and the driver was in medical distress following the crash.

Paramedics tried to resuscitate the injured driver, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, Toronto Paramedic Services said.

Toronto police identified the driver who died as a man in his 50s.

The fire was quickly contained, Toronto Fire said.

The cause of the collision is not yet known.

Traffic is shown backed up on the Gardiner Expressway on Tuesday afternoon following a deadly crash. (CP24)

The crash happened just ahead of the busy afternoon rush.

All westbound lanes of the Gardiner are closed at York Street because of the crash, and the Jarvis ramp to the westbound Gardiner is also closed. The York ramp to the westbound Gardiner was also closed but has since reopened.

The southbound lanes of the Don Valley Parkway were closed at the Bayview/Bloor exit in order to ensure that the backlog of stuck drivers did not grow. However the DVP reopened shortly before 5 p.m.

A vehicle appears to turn around on the WB Gardiner Expressway in an attempt to avoid a significant traffic backlog. (CP24)

Aerial images  showed a long stretch of vehicles at a standstill on the heavily trafficked highway. At least one stuck vehicle could be seen trying to turn around on the busy highway.

Heavy equipment was being brought in to remove the dump trucks.

Toronto police told CP24.com that the Gardiner closure is expected to last until at least 6 p.m. to allow police to investigate the fatal crash.

Police close off a stretch of the westbound Gardiner Expressway following a collision involving two dump trucks near Spadina Avenue Tuesday June 11, 2024.