The Queen Elizabeth Way heading to Niagara remains closed west of St. Catharines following a collision that caused a hazardous fuel truck load to spill into a ditch.

The highway was completely closed in both directions for more than two hours, but the lanes heading to Toronto reopened around 10:20 a.m.

Ontario Provincial Police said the collision occurred just before 8 a.m., during the busy morning rush hour.

Sergeant Kerry Schmidt of the Ontario Police explained that three vehicles were involved in the collision, and reportedly one was driving aggressively and cut off a passenger car, causing it to collide with a fuel and diesel-loaded tractor-trailer.

Schmidt added: "These two vehicles became entangled and ended up in the ditch, and obviously the hazardous goods carrier is headed toward the ditch now," the police said the third car fled the scene.

The tractor-trailer driver was pulled from his vehicle by first responders and taken to the hospital; the extent of his injuries was not immediately clear, but he is expected to survive, according to police.

The passenger car driver was able to get out of his car on his own, Schmidt said he was "very shaken" but did not suffer serious injuries, adding that the tractor-trailer’s wheels were shredded in the collision.

He added that first responders were dealing with a "dramatic scene" upon arrival in addition to a "high risk of explosion" in the now evacuated area.

Schmidt confirmed that the fire department at the scene evacuated local residents in the area and expects this to continue for several hours into the morning.

Photos from the scene showed firefighters and other emergency workers on site, along with the two vehicles in the ditch.

The police said that lanes heading to Niagara remain closed on Ontario Street due to the collision.

The closure is expected to last for several hours.