highway 400 accident north of Toronto by Twitter

14-vehicle pileup includes fuel tankers that explode, causing death and "Armageddon"


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https://twitter.com/LateNightCam/status/925632451921174528

The tanker trucks were "bombs on wheels" is how one police sergeant described the events from a fatal multi-vehicle wreck Tuesday night.

This happened on highway 400 an hour north of Toronto. Police say a long line of traffic heading north was stopped when it appears a fuel tanker slammed into the back of another truck.

"Basically the second vehicle, the white transport, had literally rode right up the vehicle transport," said witness Vincent Di Pinto. "After that I heard some popping sounds, and then a loud explosion ... I got out and looked and it was just explosions, one explosion after another and orange flames that were starting to go up into the sky."

The video taken by other motorists shows a horrific scene. Huge fireballs shooting several hundred feet into the air. The CBC.com reports that 3 people were killed in the crash and ensuing fire. People on the scene describe intense heat and flames. First responders arriving told the Ontario Provincial Police they thought it looked "almost like Armageddon."

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"The vehicles are completely destroyed, melted into the asphalt," said Sgt. Kerry Schmidt of the Ontario Provincial Police's highway safety division.

In total, 14 vehicles became tangled and twisted metal in the crash. The fire burned for 3 hours before firefighters from eight departments could put it out. Police have not yet released the identities of the three people killed. Highway 400 is expected to remain closed until Thursday.