A tragic incident occurred on the Highway 7 flyover ramp, resulting in the death of a 38-year-old woman from Waterloo. The collision took place at approximately 7:30 a.m. ET on Monday, as confirmed by Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Kerry Schmidt. The driver lost control of her vehicle on the ramp, leading to it plunging over a snowbank onto Highway 8 below.
Sgt. Schmidt emphasized that the adverse weather conditions, including snow and road conditions, were contributing factors to the accident. Efforts are underway to collaborate with road maintenance contractors and the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) to address the situation before reopening the ramp.
In a separate incident earlier on Monday at around 2 a.m., a taxi cab driver also lost control on the same ramp and ended up on the highway below. Fortunately, the driver sustained minor injuries due to the less severe drop from the ramp.
Visual evidence from the scene depicted snow accumulation along the flyover ramp’s edge, aligning with the concrete barrier height. The region experienced snowfall of 10 to 15 centimeters the day before, resulting in varying road conditions from snow-covered to partially covered or clear tracks.
The investigation into these accidents has led to the closure of the Highway 7 ramp, expected to last into the evening for further examination.
