A 60-year-old Welland man has been identified as the person killed in a multi-vehicle pile-up on Highway 401 west of Woodstock earlier this week.
Mark Barnartt died when several vehicles collided in the westbound lanes of the highway at Foldens Line (Oxford Road 6) around 2 p.m. Wednesday. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Oxford OPP.
The fatal crash was one of three on the same stretch of highway minutes apart. The two other collisions involved around 27 motor vehicles west of Sweaburg Road. Minor injuries were reported at both scenes. Driving conditions were hazardous at the time, with the area battered by lake effect flurries and westerly wind gusts up to 70 km/h.
The crashes closed the westbound lanes of the highway for several hours.
Each of the collisions remains under investigation.
Police are urging anyone who may have witnessed the wreaks, who have not yet spoken to officers, and those with dashboard camera footage of the incident to call them at 519-485-6554 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).