One person was taken to a Toronto trauma centre following a collision on Highway 12 near Gamebridge Wednesday (Jan. 3) afternoon.

The call came in at 4:43 p.m., according to Sergeant Peter Leon of Central Region OPP. He says the initial report was of a head-on collision but a third vehicle became involved.

According to a social media post from the OPP, the collision occurred between Regional Road 50 and Concession A Ramara.

One driver needed to be extricated before being taken to a trauma centre in Toronto, according to Sgt. Leon.  He says weather conditions prevented the air ambulance from flying so the individual was taken by land ambulance.

Two others were transported to local hospital.

Updates from the Ministry of Transportation as well as the OPP, indicate all lanes of the road appear to have re-opened shortly before 1 a.m.

This is the fourth time in less than two weeks that a portion of Highway 12 has been closed. The first instance was a collision between Concession 14 Brock and Highway 48 on Dec. 26, followed by a fatal collision on New Year’s Eve. A portion of the highway in Ramara was also closed temporarily Jan. 2.

Sgt. Leon says it’s fair to state weather is being considered one of the contributing factors to the many collisions OPP have responded to recently. With the temperature expected to drop throughout the day and week, he says conditions will likely deteriorate further.

Drivers, Sgt. Leon says, should slow down and drive according to conditions. Using full headlights, reducing speed and increasing the distance between vehicles can help prevent collisions. He also emphasizes the importance of looking down the road for potential hazards.

Open fields adjacent to roadways, for example, make it easier for the wind to pick up snow and move it around, says Sgt. Leon. This can impact road conditions and visibility.

“Posted speed limits are under ideal conditions…So far this year, each and every day, we’ve had far less than ideal conditions,” he says.