One dead, one missing after Kansas City firetruck and SUV crash into building
Update: Moments before the crash that killed three people in Westport, the Kansas City Fire Truck was told to “stand down.” Read that story here.
One person was killed and another was unaccounted for late Wednesday after a Kansas City firetruck collided with an SUV in the busy Westport entertainment district, sending the vehicles into a pedestrian walking along the sidewalk and through the facade of a building along Broadway Boulevard.
A large section of the building was reduced to rubble following the crash, and some vehicles parked along the side of the street were also damaged. Firefighters were still conducting a search and rescue operation for a person involved, Sgt. Bill Mahoney, with Kansas City police traffic investigations, said at the scene.
“We’re just going to hope for the best,” Mahoney said of the missing person.
It was still unclear in the immediate aftermath whether the person killed was the pedestrian or the other driver. No firefighters were seriously injured, Mahoney said.
The firetruck involved in the crash was responding to a fire with its lights and sirens on while traveling north on Broadway, Mahoney said, as the other vehicle was going westbound on Westport Road.
A large number of emergency vehicles began descending on the scene of the crash around 10:30 p.m. Many were still there into the early hours of Thursday morning as police blocked off several streets surrounding the district. Firefighters could be seen going through the rubble.
Heavy damage occurred at the part of the building once home to the Riot Room, a bar and music venue that only recently closed its doors. The building currently houses office spaces, though police believe it was unoccupied at the time of the crash.
This story was originally published December 15, 2021 at 11:04 PM.
