‘It didn’t seem real’: Man escapes Foothills plane crash with minor injuries

Jaime Pawliuk was driving to work out of town Thursday when his routine commute turned into what he describes as a life-changing event.

“I started out just like any other day,” Pawliuk said. “I was heading out to go work out of town.”

Traveling on Foothills Boulevard, Pawliuk was in the right-hand lane behind another vehicle when the crash unfolded. According to Pawliuk, the aircraft had already touched down on the roadway, meaning neither he nor the driver ahead of him saw it approaching through the air.

“It was just like another vehicle coming around the corner, except barreling,” he recalled. “I believe it was somewhere around 175 kilometres an hour coming towards us.”

Pawliuk said the plane first hit the vehicle in front of him. His focus immediately shifted to avoiding a direct collision with the aircraft.

“I was very focused on the plane and trying to avoid the engines,” he said. “I swerved as much as I could right. I missed the engine, thankfully, but the wing ended up shearing off the top of my car.”

The impact shattered glass throughout the vehicle.

“I got showered with glass and I still have glass in my fingers,” Pawliuk said. “I’m pulling out little bits of glass in my hair.”

(Image Credit: Jaime Pawliuk)

Days later, reminders of the crash continue to surface.

“I went shopping today and something was sharp in my shoe and behold, there’s a piece of my sunroof still in my shoe,” he said. “So I’ll be finding glass for a long time.”

After the collision, Pawliuk brought his vehicle to a stop and exited to assess the situation. He quickly realized he was injured and returned to his vehicle before calling 911. Emergency responders transported him to hospital for assessment. He was released approximately four hours later.

Despite escaping with relatively minor physical injuries, Pawliuk says he is still trying to process what happened.

“It didn’t seem real. It still doesn’t seem real,” he said. “Something like that happens in the movies.”

What stands out most in his memory is how quickly everything occurred.

“The plane going by me was whisper quiet,” he said. “It was a whistle kind of sound and then the loud abrupt bang of the wing striking my vehicle and the glass just showering everywhere. It all happened faster than you can think.”

(Image Credit: Jaime Pawliuk)

Pawliuk believes his quick reaction may have saved his life.

“I tried to get as far right into the ditch as possible because I saw that engine compartment coming at me,” he said. “I knew if that hit me, I would be a lot worse off than just a couple scratches and a sore neck.”

While his physical recovery continues, Pawliuk says the emotional impact has been significant.

“It’s been an emotional roller coaster,” he said. “I can be fine in one moment and then be devastated the next.”

He has arranged counselling services and says the experience has given him a different perspective on life.

“Seeing things is almost like seeing things for the first time again,” he said. “Some things can bring heavy emotions very quickly.”

In the aftermath of the incident, Pawliuk has also found himself responding to questions from members of the public looking for answers about what happened that day.

“I think it’s important to talk about things because if you’re hearing all sorts of little bits of information on the internet, you’re not going to get the full story,” he said. “Somebody has to come out firsthand and set the record straight.”

Pawliuk also expressed sympathy for the family of the person who died in the crash.

“My heart goes out to that family for their loss,” he said. “I will never forget that day.”

He credits friends, family and coworkers for helping him through the days since the crash.

“I would like to thank all of my friends, my coworkers and my family for all of the support that you’ve given me over the last couple of days,” Pawliuk said. “It’s been immense and it really means a lot to me.”

Local news. Delivered. Free. Subscribe to our daily news wrap and get our top local stories delivered to your inbox every evening.

—

Email: Adam.Berls@pattisonmedia.com

by Adam Berls

‘It didn’t seem real’: Man escapes Foothills plane crash with minor injuries

What's Trending