‘All of a sudden it was on top of me’: Mother killed as plane crashes into cars in Canada

What began as an emergency landing in British Columbia ended in tragedy when a twin-engine aircraft came down on a busy roadway and struck vehicles, killing a mother of two who was driving with her daughter.

Alex Garneau was among motorists caught in the path of the Beech King Air 200 as it made an emergency landing on Foothills Boulevard in Prince George on Thursday afternoon, August 20, 2026.

Garneau died after the aircraft struck her vehicle. Her daughter, Josie, survived the crash and was described by a family friend as having escaped “most unharmed.”

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said preliminary information indicates that the aircraft lost power to one of its engines while travelling towards Prince George International Airport, forcing the emergency landing. The plane had departed Sturdee Airstrip at about 1:25 p.m. with two crew members and six passengers aboard.

None of the eight people aboard the aircraft was injured.

A mother remembered beyond the tragedy

For Garneau's family and friends, the crash has left behind the painful loss of a woman remembered not simply as a mother, but as someone who was deeply involved in the lives of her children and their community.

Garneau was a dedicated “hockey mom” to Josie and her son, Jackson, with both children involved in the sport.

Friends described her as the person who was almost always behind the scenes, making sure her children got where they needed to be and supporting their teams.

“She was the kind of person who was behind the scenes of almost every team and activity her kids were part of. She made the drive,” her friends said in a fundraising appeal.

“She organized. She cheered. She made things happen. Her children are both incredible people and hockey players, and she had big dreams for them and the lives they will lead.”

They also remembered Garneau for the way she made people feel welcome.

“Alex was the friend who always had your back, the person you knew would show up when you needed her the most.”

“For some of us, she offered something that is difficult to find: family. She didn’t need to have known you your whole life to make you feel like you belonged in hers.”

Garneau leaves behind her husband, Jordan, and their two children.

‘It’s something you only see in movies’

For the other drivers caught in the aircraft's path, the incident unfolded with almost no warning.

Jaime Pawliuk, one of the motorists whose vehicle was struck, told CBC that he was suddenly confronted by an aircraft coming down onto the road.

“It was absolutely unbelievable,” Pawliuk said. “It’s something you only see in movies.”

He recalled the aircraft appearing almost instantly above him.

“All of a sudden it was on top of me.”

Pawliuk said he tried to steer into the ditch to avoid the plane, but had only moments to react.

“I tried to swerve as much as I could to get into the ditch, but unfortunately I was only able to make it just a little ways before the wing just sheared the entire top of my vehicle off and showered me with glass.”

He escaped with superficial cuts.

“I have superficial cuts all in my hands. I have glass still in my hair.”

Another driver, Mohit Arora, described an equally close call, saying one of the aircraft's propellers came dangerously close to his vehicle.

“It just stopped like 10 feet ahead from my car. I am so lucky that the fan and the blades did not hit my car,” he said.

Ten people assessed at the scene

Emergency crews treated 10 people following the crash, with two taken to hospital in stable condition.

Police initially reported that the aircraft had collided with vehicles during the emergency landing. Subsequent preliminary information from the Transportation Safety Board confirmed that four vehicles were involved.

The incident occurred at approximately 2:20 p.m. on Foothills Boulevard, around 1.5 kilometres north of North Nechako Road. Police closed the roadway while emergency responders and investigators worked at the scene.

The aircraft was operated by Sekani Air Ltd., a local charter operator.

Investigators now searching for the cause

The Transportation Safety Board has taken control of the investigation and has begun documenting the crash site, examining the aircraft and interviewing people affected by the incident.

The preliminary finding is that one engine lost power. Investigators will now have to establish why that happened and determine how the aircraft was handled during the emergency.

Aviation expert John Gradek told CityNews that determining the underlying cause of the engine failure could take considerably longer than identifying the immediate reason for the emergency landing.

The TSB has cautioned that its preliminary findings can change as the investigation progresses.

The full investigation could therefore take months, and potentially much longer to establish all the circumstances surrounding the crash.

But for Garneau's family, the technical findings will never erase the central tragedy: she was simply driving along a familiar road with her daughter when an aircraft suddenly fell into their path.

Josie survived.

Her mother did not.

And a community that knew Alex as the woman who always showed up for everyone else is now trying to come to terms with the fact that, in her final moments, there was no time for anyone to come to her aid.