1 dead, stretches of Hwy. 401 closed after multiple crashes from Napanee to Brockville

One person was killed and several more injured Wednesday after a series of weather-related collisions closed stretches of the westbound Highway 401 between Napanee and Brockville, Ont.

At around 12 p.m. ET, Ontario Provincial Police were called to a series of crashes involving cars and tractor-trailers near Brockville and County Road 15.

OPP spokesperson Bill Dickson said one person was killed in the crashes, which started with a single collision that "was compounded as additional vehicles approached the scene."

Between 20 and 25 vehicles needed to be removed from the highway, Dickson said. Several people also suffered non-life-threatening injuries, he added.

The highway's westbound lanes were closed between Brockville and Maitland, Ont., until about 2:30 a.m.

Tractor-trailers, dump truck

Officers were also called to the scene of a similar crash on the westbound 401 around noon, just east of Napanee at County Road 41, as heavy snow hit the area.

That crash involved cars, tractor-trailers and a dump truck, according to police. Several people were extricated and taken to hospital with as-of-yet undisclosed injuries, OPP said.

The westbound lanes were closed for more than three hours before reopening at about 3:30 p.m.

Police said they would be towing disabled vehicles and would let their owners know where they ended up.

Winter travel advisories are in place for much of that area, with Environment Canada warning about "brief but intense snowfall" that could seriously reduce visibility on the roads.

In a tweet, OPP urged drivers to "adjust their driving to changing weather conditions."

Police also were called to crashes on the westbound 401 near Kingston and Trenton Wednesday morning, but any lane closures have since ended.

At least one person suffered critical injuries in the Trenton-area crash, OPP said.