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An SUV involved in a serious collision on Highway 401 near Westney Road in Ajax is shown on its roof early Wednesday morning. (OPP)

Woman airlifted to hospital after SUV slams into back of stopped transport truck on Hwy. 401

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Two people were rushed to hospital, including one in life-threatening condition, after their SUV slammed into the back of a immobilized transport truck on Highway 401 near Ajax.

OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt says that the transport truck was headed eastbound on the highway when it blew out a wheel and came to a stop on the left shoulder of the highway near Westney Road at around midnight.

Schmidt said that an SUV then arrived on the scene a short time later and, for reasons that remain unclear, collided with the rear corner of the transport truck.

He said that as a result of the impact the SUV rolled over and ended up on its roof across the eastbound lanes of the highway.

The female driver was ejected from the vehicle and was airlifted to a trauma centre in life-threatening, Schmidt said. A male passenger also sustained injuries and was taken to hospital in non-life threatening condition.

The truck driver, meanwhile, was not hurt.

“We are just trying to determine why the SUV driver was unable to avoid it and ended up colliding significantly with that stopped transport truck on the shoulder,” Schmidt said in a video update posted to Twitter on Wednesday morning.

The eastbound lanes of Hwy. 401 were closed at Brock Road but reopened shortly after 6 a.m.