Two boys who died after a pileup on Highway 401 in Ajax were the sons of a high-ranking lieutenant colonel in the Mexican military, CTV News has learned.

The two brothers, aged 10 and 12, were in a car involved in a pileup on the highway near Salem Road, at approximately 10:30 p.m. on Friday.

The 12-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. The 10-year-old succumbed to his injures on Sunday.

Raul Saavedra of the Mexican Embassy in Ottawa confirmed the lieutenant colonel was taking part in a language-related exchange program in Canada. His family had joined him on vacation.

The mother and father are both in hospital, Saavedra said. The extent of their injuries is unclear.

Mexican Consulate officials in Toronto say they are helping the family on a daily basis.

Collision caused ‘extreme chain reaction’

Police said Friday’s accident occurred after traffic had either stopped or was slowing down due to construction in the area. A tractor trailer rear-ended one vehicle, causing an "extreme chain reaction" involving two other transport trucks and at least 16 other vehicles.

"The cars were just ripped open, like tin cans almost," OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt told reporters on scene.

"It was incredible the amount of damage that was sustained."

Another 15 people were injured during the pileup. The driver of the transport truck was not injured.

The trucking company says it has launched an internal investigation and is co-operating with police.

Schmidt said no charges have been laid at this time and police continue to investigate the accident.

Technology could help prevent collisions

The crash has raised concerns about driving conditions in that section of Highway 401, including insufficient lighting and speeds near the construction zone.

Just two weeks ago, a similar accident involving a transport truck on a nearby section of Highway 401 claimed two lives.

There is technology that experts say could help prevent these kinds of crashes.

“Collision mitigation braking” is a system that can be installed in transport trucks that uses sensors to alert the driver when the vehicle is getting too close to another vehicle or object in front of it. The technology will also automatically apply up to two-thirds of the truck’s braking power if the driver does not respond to the dashboard alarm.

The system costs approximately $3,500 to install and has been on the market for nearly a decade, but only five per cent of transport trucks on the road are currently equipped with it.

With a report from CTV Toronto's John Musselman