Fatal Gardiner Expressway crash leaves Toronto cars stuck for hours amid traffic chaos

A disastrous accident on one of the busiest sections of Toronto's Gardiner Expressway is causing mayhem for the city's commuters, many of whom are now expected to remain stuck on the fully closed highway for hours.

Shortly after 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, a collision involving multiple dumptrucks shut down the two righthand lanes, and then all three westbound lanes of the downtown artery just west of York Street, one of the freeway's most central and bustling entry and exit points.

Authorities quickly arrived on scene and blocked the affected stretch of the road all the way east and up the Don Valley Parkway as they dealt with the crash. 

Multiple ambulances, police cars and firetrucks seen on the Gardiner Expressway around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday after a crash that claimed the life of a truck driver.

One of the two 18-wheelers involved erupted into flames, creating a smoky and terrifying scene that sadly ended in the death of an injured driver, who was a man in his 50s.

Toronto Police issued an update saying the man had suffered an "unknown medical emergency" that led to the crash with the other truck and a passenger sedan.

York Street and Jarvis Street on-ramps to the westbound Gardiner were shuttered, along with the southbound DVP from Bayview/Bloor as the investigation continued.

At the time of publication around 4:30 p.m., the York ramp had just reopened, though all westbound lane remain closed.

COLLISION: UPDATE
FGX and Spadina Ave
2:17 pm
Correction:
-3 dump trucks involved in collision
-male driver in his 50's has been pronounced deceased#GO1268405
^lm

— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) June 11, 2024

Photos and videos shared on social media show a mess of traffic in the area, which will be compounded for some drivers by other accidents and closures elsewhere on their route.

A few hours before this tragedy, a dump truck hit a pedestrian bridge under construction in Mississauga, leading to a full shutdown of the QEW in both directions near Cawthra and Dixie Road. There is also the ongoing partial closure of the Gardiner for remediation work, which has been causing extensive headaches and delays since it began in March.

Those currently stuck in the mess around York Street are being slowly turned around and directed off the freeway in the opposite direction by police.