British ColumbiaA Dawson Creek, B.C., firefighter is recovering in hospital after being hit by a motor vehicle last week.Brooks Gower is no longer in critical condition, says wifeCBC News · Posted: Nov 04, 2025 7:11 PM EST | Last Updated: 3 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutes Dawson Creek Fire Rescue said in a statement that a firefighter is recovering after he was struck by a motor vehicle on Oct. 29. (Matt Preprost/CBC)A Dawson Creek, B.C., firefighter is recovering in hospital after being hit by a motor vehicle last week. Dawson Creek Fire Rescue said in a statement that a firefighter was injured on Oct. 29 while attending a single-vehicle incident on Highway 97 south near Groundbirch, a rural area located roughly 45 kilometres west of the city.The firefighter, Brooks Gower, was thrown across the highway when hit at approximately 70 kilometres an hour, wife Tryna Gower told CBC’s Radio West.LISTEN | Firefighter in Dawson Creek recovering after being hit by vehicle at the scene of an accident:Radio West10:29Firefighter in Dawson Creek recovering after being hit by a truck at the scene of an accidentBrooks Gower was hit by a truck and thrown across the highway. His wife, Tryna Gower, is trying to spread the word about being safe on the road”His body is pretty shattered,” Tryna said.Brooks was left with multiple fractures in both legs, a broken arm, nine broken ribs, and five broken vertebrae.He was working in blizzard conditions, with freezing rain and thick fog, when he was struck by a driver passing by the incident, Tryna said.Dawson Creek fire chief Marcel Capelle broke the news to her first by phone and came to the front door of their home to talk about how Brooks was seriously injured.”It was really devastating and, of course, I was absolutely shocked,” she said.She said the fire department handled the situation “impeccably” and she is grateful for their support.”We feel so loved,” she said.That support extends beyond the fire department, Tryna said, with the communities of Dawson Creek, Chetwynd, and Fort St. John rallying around the family.”The community support has blown my mind. I can’t even describe how good people are,” she said.She said Brooks is recovering at the trauma ward in Vancouver General Hospital, and is no longer in critical condition.Fellow firefighters have visited him, and their presence is helping with the recovery, she said. The “power of the mind” has been an important factor, Tryna said, with Brooks improving after being told his condition was not life-threatening.”It seemed like he was making some decisions in his head and he made a good one,” Tryna said. She said the driver who struck Brooks was upset about the incident and has been following his recovery. The driver stayed at the scene, she said. “When you’re the one that strikes somebody down, you also have to live with this for the rest of your life,” Tryna said. “I mean, our lives are now changed forever, but so is the driver’s.”Tryna added that she hopes to raise public awareness about road safety. Brooks will start physiotherapy soon and is expected to be able to fully walk again, as there’s no spinal damage, just bones that need to heal, said Tryna. With files from Radio West
Dawson Creek, B.C., firefighter recovering after being struck by vehicle
