The family of a 16-year-old girl from a small northern Ontario community who was seriously injured when her ex-boyfriend allegedly ran over her with his vehicle and then attacked her with a sword say last week was a ” big blur”. “

Kaylie Smith remains in hospital in Ottawa with serious injuries but is in stable condition.

“It’s like a big blur. It doesn’t seem real,” said Cindy Smith, Kaylie’s mother.

Officers responded to a collision involving a motor vehicle and a pedestrian in Cobalt, Ont. — about 500 kilometers northwest of Ottawa — on Nov. 3, according to Const. Martin Thibault of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

When they arrived, Thibault says they found an 18-year-old man had driven an SUV into Smith, who had just gotten off the bus, then attacked her with a sword.

Thibault added that witnesses helped Smith until emergency personnel arrived.

Smith’s ex-boyfriend, Phillipe Gagnon, was arrested an hour after the attack and remains in custody. He faces multiple charges, including attempted murder and aggravated assault.

OPP is treating the incident as intimate partner violence.

“It doesn’t seem real” to the mother

Smith’s family has been in Ottawa with her in the hospital since she was airlifted to the city.

“One minute we’re living life and the next minute we’re here in the hospital fighting for her life. I just don’t understand,” Cindy said.

She described her daughter as a “beautiful, wonderful girl” who loves animals and drawing.

“I thank God he’s alive and I hope there’s justice for this,” she said. “No one deserves to go through this.”

Family members describe Smith as gentle, sweet and helpful to others. (Sad by Paige Smith)

A handful of family members were in town to support Kaylie, including her cousin Paige Smith.

Paige bounced between two hotels before securing a place to stay for the “foreseeable future” with the help of the community.

“It was just a blur,” Paige said. “When it all happened, we kind of dropped everything and headed down, worried about the aftermath. You don’t really think about yourself in these moments. It’s just autopilot — doing what needs to be done.”

An online fundraiser to support the family’s stay in the city and Kaylie’s long recovery has raised nearly $100,000. A candlelight vigil was also held over the weekend.

Cobalt, Ont., community members are holding a candlelight vigil for Smith on Nov. 6. (Charlie Angus/X)

Accused known to police

Protesters gathered outside Haileybury court on Tuesday morning ahead of Gagnon’s bail hearing. They carried signs that read “Justice for Kaylie” and “No Bail.”

The OPP confirmed that Gagnon had previous dealings with the police.

Court records show he attacked Smith’s stepfather in May and received a suspended sentence and probation in October — just days before he attacked Smith.

STOP | The suspect was on probation at the time of the attack:

His conditions include a ban on owning weapons.

Kaylee Kennedy, one of the protesters in front of the court, said the situation was heartbreaking.

“Domestic violence is no joke. To go through something like that, her whole life has changed and it breaks my heart,” Kennedy said. “It will never be the same again.”

Phillipe Gagnon appeared in court in Haileybury, Ontario on November 12. (Lauren Foster-MacLeod)