Guelph officer was “a truly amazing person,” mother says

Jennifer Kovach is seen in this photo provided by the Guelph Police Service.

The Guelph police officer who was killed on the job in a car crash this week was “a truly amazing person,” her mother said in a statement Friday.

Jennifer Kovach, 26, was killed early Thursday morning after her police cruiser hit a Guelph Transit bus as she was on her way to assist with a police call.

Kovach was the daughter of long-time Guelph City Councillor Gloria Kovach, who said her daughter was “living her lifelong dream of being a police officer” when her life was cut short.

“Jennifer had a vibrant zest for life and a gregarious smile,” the statement said. “Jennifer was a wonderful daughter, sister, granddaughter, auntie and friend. She is deeply loved and will be greatly missed.”

Kovach’s death sparked an outpouring of grief from the Guelph police community, as well as throughout the southern Ontario city.

Kovach grew up in the community and joined the service in 2009.

“One of the greatest challenges is to see somebody with so much potential, so much energy taken from us so soon,” Guelph Police Chief Bryan Larkin said at a news conference Thursday.

Larkin remembered Kovach as a dedicated and energetic officer with a gregarious smile and bouncing ponytail. Armed with a strong sense of adventure, Kovach enjoyed riding motorcycles and had a “tremendous passion” for dogs.

Larkin said Kovach expressed a desire to serve her community at a young age, telling a high school resource officer at 16 that she wanted to become a police officer.

“I cannot say enough about what an incredible human being she was,” Larkin said. “We’re so very proud of Jennifer and our thoughts are with her family.”

Flags at police headquarters remain lowered to half-mast in Kovach’s remembrance.

By Friday, the site of the collision had become a makeshift memorial to the young officer, drawing those who knew her, as well as complete strangers.

“It’s a huge tragedy,” said Courtney Bishop, a nurse at Guelph General Hospital. “Guelph may be a big city, but it’s very close-knit. It’s just horrific for the community in general.”

In her statement, Gloria Kovach thanked members of the police service, fire department, staff at the Guelph General Hospital and the community at large for their “amazing support, love and kindness.”

It is not yet known whether a police funeral will be held for Kovach, but CTV Kitchener reports that the funeral will by public.

Larkin said an investigation is underway and teams will be conducting a full reconstruction of the collision to determine what happened, including whether road or weather conditions played a factor. At the time, temperatures had dropped below freezing and light snow was falling.

Police are asking anyone with information about the collision to call 519-824-1212 ext. 7480.

With a report from CTV Kitchener