Driver in crash with plane in northern B.C. says he ‘shouldn’t be here’

On August 21, 2026, Jaime Pawliuk, a resident of Prince George, B.C., recounted his harrowing experience of being struck by a plane during its emergency landing on a road in the area. Pawliuk, who was driving his red Ford SUV along Foothills Boulevard, said he was "extremely lucky" to have survived the crash with only minor injuries.

According to Pawliuk, he was on his way to work when the Beech King Air 200 propeller plane, moving at high speed, approached him from above, striking his vehicle from the rightmost lane. The plane sent a thick metal rod piercing through the backseat at chest height, causing extensive damage to Pawliuk's vehicle, including twisted and mangled glass from the plane's impact.

Police confirmed that the driver of the other vehicle struck by the plane had died in the crash. Pawliuk's social media post, shared late Thursday, featured images of his damaged SUV, which left him with cuts and minor whiplash.

In an interview, Pawliuk recounted the moments leading up to the crash, stating that he could feel the plane's impact and that he was covered in glass and small cuts after opening his door and walking around the vehicle. He added that he was unable to avoid the plane due to its speed and that he only heard a whistling sound and metal twisting as the plane passed by his vehicle.