A single-vehicle crash in Highway 400's southbound lanes through Barrie tied up traffic this afternoon as many people tried to get out of town in both directions for the first official long weekend of the summer.
OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt, with the Highway Safety Division, told BarrieToday the vehicle rollover occurred at 1 p.m., Friday, May 20, just north of Mapleview Drive.
"The vehicle went way off into the ditch, through a chain-link fence (and) ended up on its roof," he said.
The female driver was taken to hospital by ambulance with what Schmidt called "relatively minor" injuries.
Schmidt said although police have yet to determine an official cause, it does look like speed was a factor.
No other passengers were in the car and no other cars were impacted by the crash.
In a video posted on Twitter earlier in the day, Schmidt — who was parked on the shoulder of Highway 400 — said traffic was "crawling" in both directions.
"Wherever you're going this weekend, please consider your consequences for the actions that you take," he said. "If you're making poor decisions, it could result in enforcement action, but more dangerously, it could result in a collision or a wreck, an injury or even a loss of life."
Over the same long weekend in 2021, four people died, including three on the roads and one in the water, the sergeant added.
"We don't want to see a repeat of that this weekend. Drive safely, boat safely. ... Water on the water, beer on the pier. Wear your seat-belt (and) avoid distractions," Schmidt said.
"The sun is shining and it feels like summer. Make sure your boat is properly secure and just slow down (and) enjoy the drive," he added. "Enjoy the journey getting to your destination. If you get frustrated or hot under the collar, we don't want that to result in poor driving decisions... because we could see repeats of last year."
