On Thursday February 3, 2022 at 8:22 a.m. first responders were called to a multiple vehicle collision on Highway 11 at the Severn River Bridge.
Emergency crews from the Gravenhurst Fire Department, Severn Fire Department, Muskoka Paramedic Services and Simcoe Emergency Medical Services as well as officers from the Bracebridge OPP, Orillia OPP and Central Region Traffic Investigation, Management and Enforcement (TIME) Team responded to the collision.
A tractor trailer unit struck a small tractor on the roadway and led to a secondary collision involving multiple other vehicles.
The highway was closed for several hours in both directions of travel as the officers as well as Traffic Collision Reconstructionist with the OPP TIME team attended to assist with the investigation.
Several vehicles were spotted illegally going the wrong way and some making u-turns on the highway to avoid traffic.
As a result of the collision 59-year-old Norman Brandt from Gravenhurst was pronounced deceased at the scene and a 25-year old woman was transported to hospital with minor injuries.
The investigation is ongoing and further updates will be released as information becomes available.
All lanes in both directions have re-opened.
A 4 lane highway is no place to be riding a lawn tractor!
It was not a small tractor by those standards, it was the size of an SUV.