3 killed, 2 injured in Hwy 17 single-vehicle collision in Sudbury, OPP say

Provincial police are reporting multiple fatalities in a single vehicle collision on Highway 17, in thewest part of GreaterSudbury.The crash happened around 8:48 a.m., on New Year's Day, when the vehicle struck a rock cut.

OPP media officer Constable Michelle Coulombeconfirmed to CBC News that three people in the car were killed, and another two were injured.

She says two passengers in the vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene, while another died later in hospital.

Coulombe says one of the passengers is in serious, but stable condition, while another passenger in the vehicle suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The driver was not hurt.

The identities of the victims won't be released by police until families are notified. Coulombe couldn't say if they were related.

OPP investigators willcontinue to look into what may have happened.

"They take measurements and photos and they'll do a vehicle examine to see if there was any defects with the vehicle, and they'll piece together the collision and see what happened," Coulombesaid.

She also explainedthe area where the crash happened along the Trans Canada Highway.

"There's a median that separates the eastbound lanes and westbound lanes. The westboundlanes are just east of the [Highway] 144 interchange and there's a rock cut on one side, and that's what the vehicle struck."

OPP hadclosed a portionof Highway 17 between Highway 144 and Municipal Road 55 for the investigation.

It reopened around 4 p.m., Wednesday.