Speeding through a red light, KCFD firefighter was going ‘too fast’: Charging documents
Update: Kansas City firefighter Dominic Biscari was sentenced on three counts of involuntary manslaughter Tuesday. That story is posted here.
As Jackson County prosecutors brought charges against a Kansas City firefighter who drove an engine involved in a deadly crash 14 months ago, court documents filed Tuesday allege the 22-year-old was operating the emergency vehicle in a reckless manner illegal under Missouri law.
Dominic Biscari, of Kansas City, was charged Tuesday with three counts of involuntary manslaughter — all felonies. He appeared in Jackson County Circuit Court Tuesday afternoon for a plea hearing.
According to the charging documents, Kansas City detectives relied on a computer system from the fire truck that recorded the engine’s speed at 51 mph in a 35 mph zone, with 100% throttle at the time of the crash.
A traffic investigator found that Biscari passed through the red light “at a speed that was too fast for the conditions he faced,” citing a Missouri law that requires operators of emergency vehicles to “drive with due regard for the safety of all persons.”
During an interview with police on scene, Biscari said he had slowed down to approximately 30 mph to clear the intersection before proceeding through and did so “to the best of his ability and did not see anything.” He also advised police the emergency lights were active, the air horn was used and he “slammed” on the brakes and swerved to avoid the crash.
“He stated the fire truck weighed 45,000 pounds and could not ‘stop on a dime,’” a Kansas City detective wrote in charging documents for Biscari, adding: “Biscari stated he did everything to the best of his ability to avoid the car and sadly the collision was not avoidable.”
On Dec. 15, 2021, Biscari was behind the wheel of a Kansas City Fire Department pumper, which had activated its lights and sirens. The fire truck was speeding when it ran a red light and entered the intersection of Westport Road and Broadway Boulevard where it struck a Honda CRV. The force of the crash propelled the vehicles northwest, causing them to hit a pedestrian before slamming into a building.
Jennifer San Nicolas and Michael Elwood, who were in the Honda, and Tami Knight, the pedestrian, were killed. San Nicolas and Elwood worked at the restaurant Ragazza and Knight was a Kansas City Public Schools employee. All three were from Kansas City.
On the scene of the crash, Kansas City police investigators interviewed witnesses to include Knight’s boyfriend, who recalled walking back to their car after dinner when the fire engine struck the parked vehicle on the sidewalk while she was near the passenger door. He described calling out for her and searching for her prior to a building on Broadway collapsing.
Firefighters on Pumper 19 were also interviewed. Acting Captain Richard Purtle told investigators he had only recently been assigned to the station and was not sure how fast Biscari was driving as he was putting on gear when the crash occurred, according to court documents.
Asked by police how the pumper driver was selected, Purtle said he asked the crew whose turn it was to drive.
Two other firefighters said they were also putting on gear when the crash happened. One told investigators the permanent job assignment for driving Pumper 19 was up for bid and that there were three crew members, including Biscari, who were qualified to drive it.
The Star’s Katie Moore and Glenn E. Rice contributed to this report.
This story was originally published February 21, 2023 at 4:55 PM.
