Essex County OPP say two people were killed after a vehicle struck a CO2 tank in Leamington.

Leamington Fire Services and Essex Windsor EMS responded to a motor vehicle collision in the 1100 block of Mersea Road 5 on Sunday at 12:15 a.m.

Police say a motor vehicle struck a cement barrier rupturing a large carbon dioxide (CO2) tank on a greenhouse property resulting in an explosion and fire. 

The vehicle contained two people who were both pronounced dead at the scene.

OPP have identified the victims as Brandon Froese, 26, and Miranda Brown, 21.

Froese was Joe Young's friend for 17 years.

"He was a good guy,” Young said from the crash scene. “He would honestly give anything for anybody, anything to help anybody. He was like one of those people who made you want to be a better person when you were around him."

Young says Froese was a car enthusiast, who worked at an oil change service shop.

"I was with his family this morning, they are still in disbelief too,” says Young. “It's just, if you knew the guy it's just so hard to believe he's not going to be here.”

Mersea Road 5 was closed between Highway 77 and Mersea Road 12 for approximately six hours as the OPP's Technical Collision Investigators (TCI) completed the investigation but has since reopened.

The CO2 leak has been contained and there is no concern for public safety.

The investigation is ongoing.