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A twin-engine turboprop charter was forced to set down on a busy northwest thoroughfare in Prince George, British Columbia, on Thursday afternoon after losing power in one engine, triggering a chain-reaction collision that left one person dead and several others injured. Jaime Pawliuk, 42, a security guard driving to a north-central posting, described the moments as the aircraft appeared “from nowhere,” forcing him to swerve into a ditch to avoid the propellers. His vehicle’s roof was shaved by the plane’s wings, but he walked away with only minor cuts from flying glass. The aircraft, carrying a pilot, a crew member and six passengers—including two employees of Evergold Corp en route to a scheduled break from northern BC mining operations—slammed into four vehicles before coming to rest. Authorities confirmed a fatality in the car struck first, while all aboard the plane escaped unharmed.
**Emergency Landing on a Busy Thoroughfare**
The Beechcraft King Air 200 had departed the remote Sturdee gravel airstrip roughly 650 kilometres northwest of Prince George at about 1:25 pm, heading toward the city’s airport. Moments later, TSB investigators say, power to one engine failed. Rather than attempt a return to the strip, the pilot executed an emergency landing on Foothills Boulevard, a major arterial road. Mike Morris, a former MLA and RCMP commander who arrived within minutes, said the pilot’s handling under pressure was deft. “There were eight souls on board that aircraft – all of them were able to get out of there,” Morris said. “He did a very good job, it’s just unfortunate we had a death and other injuries.” The plane’s wheels touched down on a road still carrying commuter traffic, and the impact sent several cars spinning. Pawliuk, who was following the vehicle that was hit first, said the only sound he heard was the twist of metal and the shattering of sunroof glass. He swerved right into a ditch, creating just enough clearance for the plane to pass ahead without its propellers striking his cab, though the wings clipped the roof.
**Casualties and the Emergency Services Response**
British Columbia Emergency Health Services mobilised two ambulances within minutes of the landing just after 2 pm. Paramedics treated ten people at the scene, including two who were stabilised and transported to hospital for further care. The death of the occupant in the lead vehicle was confirmed by authorities shortly after the crash, though their identity has not been released pending next-of-kin notification. Several others sustained injuries ranging from whiplash to lacerations. Pawliuk, shaken but physically unscathed, told reporters the emotional weight of the event settles in slowly. “It’s not something that’s supposed to happen. It’s not really something that you should make sense out of,” he said. “It’s just an absolute accident that happened.” The Prince George Airport had been alerted in advance and stood ready to receive the aircraft, but the emergency unfolded on the road before the plane could