Man charged with impaired driving in dramatic crash on Skyway bridge; Toronto-bound lanes remain closed
Digital Reporter
Friday, August 1, 2014, 10:15 AM -
A-34-year old man faces impaired driving charges after his dump truck with its cargo in the "up" position ran into scaffolding in the construction area of a key bridge linking the Hamilton-Niagara region to the Toronto area.
The collision on the Burlington Skyway just after 3:30 p.m. EDT Thursday brought traffic to a standstill and shut down all northbound lanes.
RELATED: Dramatic photos of Skyway Bridge Crash
Crickey. That's a new one. Expect that to be closed for few hours. QEW TorBnd at the Skyway. #TorontoTraffic #HamOnt pic.twitter.com/U5OEsKCUrH
— Beat the Traffic (@BTT_GTA) July 31, 2014
Sukhvinder Singh Ra of Brampton, Ont., faces one count of impaired operation of a motor vehicle and one count of blood alcohol level exceeding 80 milligrams while operating a motor vehicle.
Police say the crash caused "significant structural damage'' and the Toronto-bound lanes will stay closed until engineers determine the highway -- which sees up to 80,000 vehicles a day -- is safe to reopen. With early indications being that the bridge will be closed forseveral days, and the long weekend approaching, Beat the Traffic can help you navigate the best routes to cut drive times and get you to your location.
Ouch! QEW #Toronto-bound MT @ACollinsPhoto: Here's a close-up photo of damage to Skyway posted to Facebook #HamOnt pic.twitter.com/271NK7EYX9
— Tom Podolec CTV News (@TomPodolec) July 31, 2014
"The Toronto bound lanes of the Skyway will remain closed until the MTO structural engineers determine that the highway is safe to reopen," said the Highway Safety Division in a press release Thursday.
Three other vehicles, a transport truck and two cars were also damaged subsequent to the initial collision.
Singh Ra has been released from custody and is scheduled to appear in a Hamilton court on August 22nd.
With files from The Canadian Press
