The accident that closed Highway 17 this morning between Espanola and Blind River involves a fatality.
East Algoma OPP Constable Kyle Ney says just before midnight, police, emergency medical services and firefighters responded to a vehicle collision on Highway 17 just east of the Town of Spanish.
He says the investigation has since revealed that an eastbound tractor-trailer collided with a westbound plow truck.
Ney says the operator of the tractor-trailer was confirmed deceased at the scene and the operator of the plow truck was transported to a hospital with serious injuries.
He adds the OPP Technical Collision Investigators have been deployed to assist in the investigation and the Ministry of Labour has been contacted.
Ney says only passenger vehicles only can utilize a detour in Spanish from John Street to Lewis Street to Cutler Avenue in order to by-pass the road closure.
Highway 17 currently remains closed to commercial vehicles (transports) from Highway 108 to Walford.
There is no detour capable of allowing commercial traffic through at this time (12 noon).
