Fallen sign on Highway 401.OPP_HSD | Twitter
OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said the incident occurred on the highway at Brock Road by Whitby. The collapsed sign "is blocking all lanes westbound, forcing all traffic now off at Thickson Road," he added.
Whitby OPP are investigating the incident, but Schmidt said it "looks like there's a collision of some sort that a vehicle or something struck the sign causing it to collapse."
The cleanup will take some time as it will require heavy equipment to remove the sign from the highway.
"In the meantime, all traffic on Highway 401 westbound, approaching the GTA, is going to be forced off at Thickson road," he concluded. "For now, there will be heavy delays in the area."
Someone posted a tweet stating they had been at a standstill for an hour and a half on the highway. So, if you have an alternative route, you might want to take it.
Images from the scene show that the whole highway has been obstructed by two massive signs and the pole they sit on.
And even though traffic may not be moving, a person on Twitter said that train services are still on the go.
Police are asking any witnesses to contact Whitby OPP at 905-668-3388.
UPDATE: OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt posted a follow-up tweet stating that a transport truck which is responsible for the collision has been identified. Officers are on their way to the company to investigate the incident further.
