An Olympic figure skater was killed after a runaway truck hit her car – but her young son, who was also in the vehicle at the time, survived.
Alexandra Paul, 31, was waiting in a line of traffic with her son Charlie during construction on a road just outside of Melancthon, Ontario, on Tuesday when a semi truck pulled into the construction zone, crashing into the parked cars, killing them.
Ontario Provincial Police said the truck failed to slow and collided with seven vehicles on the road.
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Paul was pronounced dead at the scene.
She competed in a duos segment of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, along with Mitchell Islam, and placed 18th with the pair. Paul then trained as a lawyer.
Their partnership with Islam was also romantic: the couple married in September 2021 and gave birth to baby Charlie shortly after.
Alexandra Paul, 31, and her husband and former skating partner Mitchell Islam and their baby boy are pictured in a family photo and died in a fatal accident on Tuesday afternoon
Charlie, who was in the back seat at the time of the accident, was taken to a children’s hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Three other people were injured, including a 45-year-old woman and a 28-year-old man, who were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
A 67-year-old man, who had to be extricated from his vehicle by emergency crews, was airlifted to a Toronto-area trauma center with serious injuries, Canadian Press reported.
After the accident, County Road 124 was closed for nearly ten hours to allow police to investigate the accident. No charges were brought against the driver of the truck, who is not named.
The picture shows the couple performing a figure skating short dance on Day 9 of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Socchi, Russia
The accident happened around 3 p.m. Tuesday on Country Road 124 in the township of Melancthon, Ontario. Officials said the tractor-trailer pulled into the construction site and crashed into the line of vehicles waiting on the roadway
Paul competed in the 2014 Olympics with her skating partner Mitchell Islam.
The couple teamed up in 2009 and won the junior ice dance title at the Canadian National Championships. A year later, they took a silver medal at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships.
According to Skate Canada, Paul and Islam won bronze at the national championships in 2011, 2014 and 2015 during their senior careers.
They have also won four medals at international competitions, including bronze at the 2016 US Classic International.
Paul continued her studies and earned her law degree. At the time of her death, she was an attorney at Barriston Law.
The pair were partners on the ice and in life
The news of Paul’s untimely death was devastating for the skate community.
On Friday, Skate Canada issued a statement recognizing Paul as “a shining star on and off the ice whose dedication, passion and talent have made a mark on the figure skating world.”
“Her commitment to excellence was only matched by her warmth and friendliness, which endeared her to fellow athletes, coaches and fans alike,” the statement said.
“As we remember Alexandra’s contributions to the sport, we also reflect on the camaraderie and sportsmanship that she exemplified.” Not only was she an accomplished athlete, but she was a true role model for aspiring skaters who valued resilience, showed endurance and sporting behavior.”
The law firm was also shocked by her death. They told CTV News that the young lawyer is “a friendly, inquisitive person with a cheerful personality and an intense passion for her work and family.”
“Alex first joined us as a summer student, then worked with us as a legal clerk and then practiced with us as a junior attorney after being admitted to the bar in 2021,” said Joanne McPhail, the firm’s managing partner, in a statement/
“She was a valued member of our team and a close friend to many of us.” She attended our company golf tournament just last week and, like us, is excited about her future.”
A GoFundMe created to help Islam with the “disheartening reality of raising Charlie as a widowed father”. $146,000 had been raised as of Saturday morning.
The fundraiser states: “As a Canadian success story is tragically cut short, Alex will be remembered as a passionate, determined young lady who was able to brighten every room she walked in.”
“Not only was she kind, educated, funny and determined, but Alex was an integral part of the international figure skating community representing Canada at the Olympics.” But most of all, Alex is remembered as the loving daughter, sister, wife and mother of Remember Charlie.”