Josephine and Jason Field are living a parent’s worst nightmare, but are doing so with grace and an unshakeable faith.
“We just take everything day by day. You know, it’s just been endless mercy poured out on us,” Jason said.
It was two weeks ago when the Field’s life was turned upside down. March 28 was a normal day, like so many are before tragedy strikes.
Their four kids and Josephine were taking part in a musical that evening in Flagstaff County, so extended family had come to town.
“Josey’s aunt and uncle were visiting,” Jason said, “And we decided to go to Killam for lunch as a family.”
His wife was in the vehicle ahead with her aunt and uncle, while Jason drove his truck with their four kids: 13-year-old Jacob (Jake), 11-year-old Lincoln, and nine-year-old twins Emma and Madison.
“It was just a normal drive, routine … everything seemed normal until the accident happened.”
Jason was heading west on Highway 36, crossing the intersection of Highway 13 right at the edge of the central Alberta town, when another vehicle with an elderly couple inside collided with the truck.
Emma died immediately.
“She didn’t suffer — it was just a family drive, just like any other. One moment she’s with us, and the next she’s in the arms of Jesus, and that’s a mercy,” Jason said.
“There was no pain, there was no fear. It was just quick, it was instant.”
Emma Field, 9, was killed in a crash near Killam, Alta. on March 28, 2025.
Supplied to Global News
Her twin sister Madison and her eldest brother Jake both suffered brain injuries and were rushed up to the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton.
“Jake was probably affected the most severely,” Jason said. “He had some pressure on the brain that they needed to do emergency surgery to relieve that pressure. He has a neck fracture that, again, the Lord is merciful and he’s moving all his extremities,” the father said, adding he has a halo brace immobilizing him.
“So it’s our hope that we see a full recovery.”
An undated Field family photo in the mountains. Emma is wearing the purple sweater, while Madison is in pink.
Supplied to Global News
Madison has been in a medically-induced coma the past two weeks to allow her brain injury to heal, but her mother said doctors are happy with her progression and slowly bringing her out of it.
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“Madison is in the process of waking up. They’re hoping to take the breathing tube out,” Josephine said. “We’ll see how things go. But she’s doing really well, moving her extremities.”
Her father added while it’s excruciating to see Madison suffering (“every ounce of you just wants to pick them up”), the parents are relieved to see their daughter respond and express herself in familiar ways.
“She’s feisty,” Jason said. “Yeah, she is,” Josie nodded in agreement.
“It’s hard to see your child in that position, but when you see them fighting, when you see them upset — oddly, there’s some comfort because you know that’s their personality coming through,” Jason said.
“After a brain injury like they’ve experienced, you don’t know — so it’s a blessing and you know, it’s a miracle.”
The road to recovery will be long, the father added.
Jason, 43, suffered a fractured orbital bone and underwent surgery to repair his eye socket. Thankfully, their 11-year-old Lincoln walked away from the crash with just a broken elbow.
“He’s been so strong through this,” Jason said, adding as bad as it was — it could have been so much worse.
“It could have been a fatality for all of us in that vehicle, and the Lord protected us so that I could be there for my family through this.”
Emma was feisty like her twin, the Fields said.
“She was just full of life. She was sassy, spunky. Had plans for what she wanted to do,” Josephine said.
An undated photo of twins Emma and Madison Field.
Supplied to Global News
Emma wanted to be a veterinarian, and had already been looking into schools for it and asking her mom what she needed to do to prepare, Josephine explained.
She faced new experiences with gusto, her father shared.
“She was never afraid to try something new. I think of our family ski trips that we’d go on and she was always the first barrelling down the hill.
“Just fearless. Just courageous, very spirited, and just a loving, loving girl.”
“Full of life,” Josephine echoed quietly.
An undated family photo of Lincoln, Madison, Emma and Jacob Field on a ski trip.
Supplied to Global News
At a time when many parents would be in pieces, unable to articulate the depth of their pain, the Fields are leaning on each other, their family, community, church and faith to get through it.
“God is a comforter in these times and we know that she’s in the arms of Jesus and that brings us peace, to know that,” Jason said. Josephine nodded in agreement. “We take a lot of comfort in that,” she added.
“We had the privilege of being her parents for nine years, and it was a good nine years. She had a happy childhood,” Jason said.
“We were blessed to be her parents. We’re gonna miss her.”
The couple, already a family of faith, said the tragedy hasn’t shaken it — in fact, quite the opposite.
“A lot of people will say, ‘Where’s God in this?’ And a lot of the time God is going to channel his love through the people that he puts around you and that’s what we felt and experienced from our community, from our family, our church family,” Jason said.
“It’s strengthened our faith, and this has strengthened our community, and we’re just, again, thankful for His mercies.”
The Fields are also so grateful for the people who jumped into action to save their family.
“The staff at the Stollery Hospital are just amazing,” Jason said. “The first responders on the scene… they saved my other three children and I’ll be thankful for them forever, for what they did and how they handled themselves, the professionalism, the… they’re just a blessing.
“We’re so blessed to be in a situation where we have these professionals that can step in and run into these situations that are just very horrific and difficult.”
An undated Field family photo in the mountains. Emma is wearing the pink shoes.
Supplied to Global News
The occupants of the second vehicle, a 72-year-old male and a 72-year-old female, sustained minor injuries, RCMP said.
The parents, who have spent the past two weeks by their children’s side at the Stollery in Edmonton, have not considered legal action against the older couple.
“Right now we’re just focused on our family and keeping them comfortable so that they can heal, not just our children but our community, our family, our direct family, our church family.
Instead, the Fields appeared full of mercy and forgiveness.
“”We have no anger, we have no blame, no feelings of resentment.”
While the family will have a small viewing and private family burial for Emma this weekend, a larger memorial won’t take place for several more months, once the entire family is home again.
“It’s important that Jacob and Madison have an opportunity to say goodbye to their sister and they’re obviously not in a place where they can attend,” Jason said.
“Emma was so loved in the community. There’s so many broken-hearted people and we want to have that opportunity to have a celebration of life for her.”
After the collision, the Flagstaff Players Society canceled the rest of the show the family was set to take part in. The society refunded tickets to raise donations for the Fields and together with a GoFundMe, the community has collected nearly $130,000 for the Fields.
“Like I said before, God shows up, and he often uses the people around you to send his love,” Jason said as his wife nodded in agreement, adding they’ve received thoughts and prayers from people around the world.
“That’s what this is. I know people are hurting, and people are affected by this and we just… we accept that love and we accept all that help and we need the prayers, above all. “