The horrific frontal accident that claimed the life of a man earlier this morning was the result of a man driving in the wrong direction in the north lanes of Highway 11, police say. The Orillia OPP says the incident, which caused a fire and smoke in the air, occurred shortly after 2 a.m. this morning following multiple reports of “vehicles in the wrong direction” on the busy provincial highway. It was confirmed that one person died at the scene. No other injuries were reported. The fire broke out just south of Line 7 in Oro-Medonte Township. It is not clear why the person was driving in the wrong direction. The Orillia OPP, along with Oro-Medonte Township firefighters and Simcoe County paramedics, responded to the crash. Traffic reconstruction officers of the Central Region IPP were also called to the spot to assist in the investigation. Due to significant damage to the highway, officials from the provincial Ministry of Transport are on the spot to assess the damage. The north lanes of Highway 11 will remain closed until further notice. This is the second fatal car accident on local roads in 24 hours. On Thursday morning, a Fenelon Falls man was killed in a two-vehicle collision near Coldwater. “This, unfortunately, marks the fifth fatality this week on highways patrolled by the OPP Central District and the ninth death in April in the area,” the OPP said in a statement. Police remind drivers to be careful and vigilant while driving. The Orillia OPP asks any witness who has not already spoken to police or has video from the collision camera this morning on Highway 11 to call the Orillia OPP at 705-326-3536 or 1-888-310- 1122.
