It's a sad and tragic story we've heard more than once.
A person involved in a collision on a major 400 series highway gets out of their vehicle and is then subsequently hit by another vehicle.
That's what happened to a female driver on the Westbound lanes of the 401 near McCowan Road just after 11 Friday night.
According to OPP Const Katie Johnston, who spoke to NEWSTALK 1010 Saturday morning,the woman had been involved in a collision and had exited her car in the express lanes, then tried to make her away across to the collectors side of the highway when she was struck.
"There was a multi-vehicle collision in the express lanes. One female exited the vehicle and was hit by another vehicle in the collector lanes, westbound near McCowan."
Staff Sgt. Kerry Schmidt, via Periscope, detailed the path taken by the victim, now confirmed as a 31-year-old woman from Toronto.
"The attempt was unsuccessful,she was struck by another vehicle that was travelling westbound in the collector lanes. She was pronounced dead at the scene."
Schmidt confirmed the intial collision was caused by the victim, after her car struck another vehicle, that was hauling a trailer, in the express lanes of the 401 and that both
drivers had exited their vehicles when tow trucks arrived on scene.
As to what prompted the woman to cross over into the collector lanes, Schmidt confirmed that is under investigation.
"Reasonings behind her trying to cross the highway. Where she was going, what she was doing and what her intentions were."
The accident forced a full closure of the Westbound 401 lanes from Mornignside Avenue through to Markham Road in Scarborough.
But even that wasn't enough of a deterrent for some other vehicles ttravelling through that stretch.
According to Schmidt, some simply ignored the warning and posted signs and drove right through the collision area.
"We had several vehicles go through the closures that were set up by the Ministry of Transportation and the the road maintenance crews. At least two vehicles were stopped for blowing through and crossing through the closures."
OPP reconstrcution teams spent much of the overnight gathering information and evidence about the collision.
This type of accident is not uncommon on the major 400 series highways and Johnston reiterates that the best place for those involved in a collision to be, is their car until
help arrives.
"Generally on the 401 tow truck drivers will get there, they have visible lights. They have experience in letting you know if it's okay to get out and get into the tow truck or wait until police get on scene."
All westbound lanes through that stretch reopened to traffic early Saturday morning.