Highway 401 crash near Boundary Road

Emergency responders work at the scene of a three vehicle crash on Highway 401 near the Boundary Road interchange in Cornwall, Ont. Thursday Aug. 3, 2017. A pickup truck (not shown) was also involved. (Newswatch Group/Bill Kingston)

CORNWALL – Traffic was reduced to a crawl Thursday night after a three vehicle crash in the eastbound lanes of Highway 401 near the Cornwall-South Glengarry boundary.

Cornwall-SDG Paramedic Services, Cornwall firefighters and SD&G O.P.P. were called to an area of the highway about 300 feet (100 meters) west of the Boundary Road overpass just after 8 p.m.

A Ford pickup truck and a mid-sized sedan had collided, setting off the air bags in the car.

The car had extensive front end damage while the pickup truck had quite a bit of damage to the rear end. A third vehicle – a large Mercedes transport van – appeared to be involved, though there was no visible signs of damage from a distance.

Several people, wrapped in blankets, could be seen pacing along the shoulder of the highway while police conducted their investigation.

Some of the apparent victims could be seen being treated in the back of an ambulance by paramedics though it appeared that no one was transported from the scene.

Highway 401 was down to one lane, which caused a backup of traffic to within a kilometer of the McConnell Avenue interchange. Westbound traffic was unaffected.

A Ford pickup truck is loaded on a flatbed trailer on Highway 401 near the Boundary Road interchange in Cornwall, Ont. Thursday, Aug. 3, 2017 after a three vehicle crash. It appeared the victims in the crash were all treated at the scene by paramedics. (Newswatch Group/Bill Kingston)