Highway 401 westbound reopens following collision, oil spill

The London Fire Department says a westbound section of Highway 401 has reopened after a significant fuel spill early Sunday afternoon. 

The spill happened after a tractor trailer carrying fuel jackknifed between Highbury Avenue and Veterans Memorial Parkway. 

"We had several vehicles that had collided and a transport truck that had diesel tanks punctured, with some diesel fuel leaking," said Brent Shea, district chief with London Fire. 

Shea did not know the exact number of vehicles involved, but said it was greater than 10. A small number of people have been transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, he added.

Light snow played a part in the incident, he said. 

"It appears that the snowfall caught some drivers off guard and may have been a contributing factor in the accident," said Shea. "Just be safe on the highway, take your time, reduce your speed, and make sure you leave lots of room when you're driving in these conditions." 

Environment Canada is expecting between 2 to 4 centimetres of snowfall in the London region ending Sunday evening, followed by a 30 per cent chance of flurries.