Local News
Air Canada Flight Attendant Ejected from Plane Following Fatal Runway Collision at LaGuardia Airport
NEW YORK — Newly reported details are shedding light on the severity of the fatal runway collision at LaGuardia Airport, including accounts of a flight attendant being ejected from the aircraft during the impact.
According to multiple sources familiar with the scene, one flight attendant aboard the Air Canada Express CRJ-900 was found outside the aircraft following the crash, still secured in her jumpseat.
The aircraft, operated by Jazz Aviation on behalf of Air Canada, had just arrived from Montreal with 72 passengers and four crew members on board.
The CRJ-900 typically operates with two flight attendants—one positioned at the front of the aircraft and one at the rear.
Based on preliminary observations, the forward section of the aircraft sustained catastrophic damage when it collided with a rescue and firefighting vehicle on the runway.
Authorities confirmed that both the pilot and co-pilot were killed in the impact, which reportedly sheared off the nose of the aircraft.
Investigators believe the violent deceleration and structural damage may have contributed to the forward flight attendant being ejected from the aircraft while still strapped into her seat.
The second flight attendant, positioned toward the rear of the aircraft, is believed to have remained onboard and would have assumed responsibility for assisting passengers in the immediate aftermath.
Air traffic control audio has revealed the chaotic moments leading up to the collision.
Controllers can be heard urgently attempting to halt the movement of the emergency vehicle, repeatedly issuing commands to stop as both the aircraft and truck entered the same runway path.
The vehicle had reportedly been cleared to cross the runway while responding to a separate in-flight emergency involving another aircraft.
Following the collision, emergency crews rushed to the scene. Dozens of passengers and crew members were evaluated, with multiple individuals transported to area hospitals for treatment.
Several remained hospitalized following the incident, while injuries were also reported among first responders.
In the aftermath, the Federal Aviation Administration implemented a ground stop at the airport as authorities secured the scene and initiated a full investigation.
In a statement, Doug Clarke, president of Jazz Aviation, expressed deep condolences to the families of the deceased pilots and support for those injured, emphasizing the company’s full cooperation with investigators.
The incident has raised serious concerns about runway safety procedures, coordination during emergency responses, and the operational pressures faced by air traffic controllers in rapidly evolving situations.
The investigation remains ongoing as federal authorities work to determine the exact sequence of events and contributing factors behind the collision.
Local News
Jimmy Brooks Killed in Wrong-Way Tesla Crash on I-26 in Buncombe County, Driver Bradley Vance Charged
BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. — Jimmy Lee Brooks, 42, of Leicester, North Carolina, died after a wrong-way Tesla crash involving three vehicles on Interstate 26 near Asheville on Thursday afternoon, October 22, 2026.
Several other people were injured in the collision, and the Tesla driver has been charged in connection with the fatal crash.
According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Bradley Vance Lanier, 54, of Taylors, South Carolina, was driving a Tesla westbound in the eastbound lanes of I-26 near Exit 37 when the vehicle struck a Honda SUV head-on before colliding with a Honda passenger car.
Brooks was a passenger in the Honda passenger car. He was transported to Mission Hospital in Asheville, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol said troopers responded to the crash at approximately 2:30 p.m. Thursday near mile marker 37 on eastbound I-26.
According to the agency’s statement, the Tesla entered the interstate traveling west in the eastbound lanes near Exit 37, also associated with Long Shoals Road. The vehicle first struck a Honda SUV head-on and then collided with a Honda passenger car.
A trooper from a neighboring county arrived shortly after the collision and began providing assistance to a passenger inside the Honda passenger car.
The car’s driver and two passengers were transported to Mission Hospital with serious injuries. Brooks was among the passengers and later died at the hospital. Authorities said the conditions of the other occupants were not immediately known.
The driver of the Honda SUV was also taken to Mission Hospital with minor injuries and was later released.
Lanier, the driver of the Tesla, sustained minor injuries and was transported to Mission Hospital before being released, according to the Highway Patrol.
Troopers subsequently charged him with four offenses:
- Driving while impaired (DWI)
- Felony death by vehicle
- Felony serious injury
- Reckless driving
Following his release from the hospital, Lanier was taken to the Buncombe County Detention Facility, where he was being held on a $5 million secured bond, according to the agency’s statement.
The charges are allegations, and the case will proceed through the court system. The official statement does not establish a conviction.
Interstate 26 was closed for approximately two hours while troopers investigated the collision and documented the scene.
The investigation centers on the circumstances that led the Tesla to travel in the wrong direction on the eastbound side of the interstate and the subsequent collisions involving the two Honda vehicles.
Authorities have not released the current medical conditions of all the injured occupants.
The fatal crash claimed the life of Brooks, a Leicester resident, and left several other people requiring hospital treatment.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol is investigating the collision. Further information about the case may be released as the investigation and legal proceedings continue.