Young P.E.I. paramedic who died in ambulance crash described as ‘beacon of light’

FREDERICTON — One of the Prince Edward Island paramedics who died in an ambulance crash earlier this week is being remembered as a loving daughter and trusted coworker.

Jenna Croucher, 23, was among three people who died Tuesday in the collision between the emergency vehicle and a transport truck on a New Brunswick highway, west of the Confederation Bridge.

The remains of Croucher and her coworker Mike MacKenzie, who was driving the ambulance when the head-on crash occurred, were escorted by a procession of emergency vehicles Friday afternoon from Saint John, N.B., across the Confederation Bridge and home to the Island.

The paramedic’s father, P.E.I. Education Minister Robin Croucher, said Friday morning his daughter was a “rare beacon of light” who had the ability to connect with people of all ages and backgrounds.

“It wouldn’t matter if it was a crowd of dignitaries or if it was a homeless person on the street, she could find a connection,” Robin Croucher, who once worked as a paramedic, said in an interview.

“That’s just what made her so special.”

He also described his daughter as a “mother hen” who was a protective older sister and a role model for her younger siblings, Lesley and Evan.

The young paramedic possessed a mature appreciation for the small things in life, like sharing a meal and enjoying nature, her father added. She also owned a sailboat with her fiancée Morgan Roggeveen, whom she planned to marry in September.

“She cherished all those small things in life that takes us 40 to 50 years to figure out … and never missed an opportunity to just stop, pause, take it all in and appreciate it.”

Priscilla Currie, in a tribute posted on social media, said Jenna Croucher was studying paramedicine when the two met while working for the ambulance service. She said her colleague was a reliable presence for her coworkers and friends.

“I never had to ask Jenna to be a great friend — she just was. I never had to ask Jenna to love my kids — she just did,” wrote Currie.

Corey Frizzell, a town councillor for Cornwall, P.E.I., said Jenna Croucher was determined to achieve the goals she had in life and was dedicated to her work.

“Jenna had a deep devotion to service, providing care and support to those in need in her role as a paramedic,” he wrote in a tribute.

“She genuinely loved people and had so much to offer this world.”

Tributes were also coming in for MacKenzie, who was driving the ambulance when the crash occurred.

A social media post from the IWK Hospital Foundation in Halifax says MacKenzie was a dedicated volunteer who was passionate about health care.

MacKenzie, who was 56 years old at the time of his death, was also recently recognized for 20 years of service with Island EMS, the ambulance service in P.E.I.

Prime Minister Mark Carney posted a statement on Friday acknowledging the collision that took the lives of the two paramedics — and identified the 77-year-old patient who was in their care and also died in the crash, Anne Martell.

“My thoughts are with their families and with communities across P.E.I. as they grieve this tragic loss,” Carney wrote.

Meanwhile, paramedics in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have volunteered to backfill paramedic roles on the Island to allow their P.E.I. counterparts to attend any funerals or other services.

The crash Tuesday in Melrose, N.B., remained under investigation as of Thursday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 10, 2026.

Eli Ridder, The Canadian Press