Massive multi-vehicle crash on Highway 15 involving school bus and dozens of vehicles

MONTREAL (CityNews) – A multi-vehicle pileup involving several cars, buses, trucks and a school bus near La Prairie in the Monteregie region has led to massive backups.

The SQ says they responded to a collision involving possibly 200 vehicles near kilometre 46 on Highway 15, south of Montreal around 12:30 p.m.

Highway 15 needed to be closed to traffic in both directions between Matte and Montcalm boulevards.

Buses were chartered to the area to evacuate citizens on the scene while those injured are being transported to the Charles Lemoyne hospital in Longueuil – where a code orange has put in place, used for bigger emergencies like this.

At this point, it’s not known how many people have been injured, however, the Quebec health minister said that no one on the school bus was injured.

People have been transported to hospital with as many as 12 ambulance rides reported.

The SQ says the extent of the injuries ranges from minor to heavily injured.

Motorists are asked to avoid the area as much as possible and be sure to adapt their driving to the current weather and road conditions.

Transport Minister Francois Bonnardel told reporters in Quebec City the crash took place in an area where heavy winds come off the river, creating sudden blizzard-like conditions.

Bonnardel says the highway isn’t known for particular safety issues and 65,000 vehicles use the southbound part of it on a daily basis.

 

— With files from The Canadian Press