KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City, Missouri, Fire Department is "cooperating fully" with police as they investigate a crash involving one of its fire trucks which left three people dead and a building partially collapsed.
A crew from Station 19 responded to a fire call when the crash happened around 10:25 p.m. Wednesday.
The crew's truck collided with an SUV on Broadway Boulevard near Westport Road, and the force of the crash sent both vehicles into a nearby brick building.
A man and a woman in the SUV died in the crash. A third person, a woman who investigators say was a pedestrian, was found dead in the rubble Thursday morning.
Later Thursday, KCFD released a statement and held a press conference regarding the crash.
“Our thoughts are with those families, with our responders that were involved in the incident as well,” KCFD Fire Chief Donna Lake said.
She made it clear the fire department would be working with the police as they investigated.
“I also want to say that, and let everybody know that we have full confidence in KCPD, who is handling the investigation, and we are preserving all information and will cooperate fully with that investigation,” Lake said.
The department's statement said they do not take their duty to the public lightly and are saddened by the incident.
"As first responders, we are entrusted to respond to incidents and help people, and we are heartbroken by last night's tragic collision," the statement posted to Twitter read.
Lake said Thursday the firefighters involved in the crash were sent home for the evening, and there is assistance available to them to handle the aftermath of the crash.
The truck involved will be out of service, and crews at Station 19 will be equipped with a reserve apparatus in the meantime.
As far as traffic signal policy, Lake said regardless of signal color, "[the crew's] job is to ensure they've accounted for all lanes of traffic."
Lake would not comment further on department policies, pending the ongoing investigation.
Hailey Godburn at KSHB first reported this story.
