KC firefighter drove SUV drunk on Missouri 152. He’s still on the job
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Platte County deputy stopped wrong-way SUV; firefighter Michael Van Horn charged with DWI.
- He pleaded guilty in April 2025 and received probation plus orders for programs.
- KCFD kept Van Horn on staff; department confirmed his current firefighter role.
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The KCFD Files
A series of stories highlights Kansas City Fire Department employees who have been charged with serious crimes — including fatal crashes, a felony drug case and multiple DWIs — and were allowed to remain on the job, some for years.
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When the Platte County deputy got the call from dispatch about a driver traveling the wrong way on Missouri 152, he hurried to the top of an on-ramp on the divided highway.
He could see a vehicle coming toward him, heading westbound in the eastbound lanes near Interstate 29. The deputy turned on his emergency lights, then crossed the cable dividers in the median on foot and used his flashlight to try and get the driver’s attention.
The dark SUV kept going, moving slowly in the left lane and along the shoulder of the eastbound traffic, even as it met three oncoming vehicles.
The deputy had to use stop sticks to bring the SUV to a halt around 1:30 a.m., according to a probable cause statement filed in Platte County Circuit Court on July 14, 2024.
Behind the wheel was Kansas City firefighter Michael Van Horn.
He was charged with DWI, a class B misdemeanor that carries a maximum sentence of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
The deputy noted Van Horn’s occupation in the probable cause statement supporting the charge.
“I believe the defendant poses a danger to the crime victim or society because Van Horn is a Kansas City Fire Fighter who most is familiar with the risks posed by impaired driving,” he wrote.
“He traveled the wrong way down a divided highway, causing three vehicles, in the presence of law enforcement, to avoid a head on collision.”
Van Horn, 35, pleaded guilty on April 2. Platte County Circuit Judge Amy Ashelford suspended the imposition of his sentence and placed him on two years’ probation.
Van Horn’s case is among a series of incidents The Star has reported on in recent months in which fire department employees charged with crimes — including assaults, a felony drug case and multiple DWIs — have stayed on the job.
Earlier this month, a former Kansas City fire captain who remained on the job for more than a year after his fourth DWI arrest was sentenced to 60 days in jail and five years’ probation in connection with the 2023 felony case. Christopher Siegel also must finish serving three more years of probation from a 2021 felony DWI case, the Clay County circuit judge ordered. Siegel had violated his probation in that case multiple times.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHow we reported the KCFD project
For the past several months, The Star has been rolling out an ongoing project revealing how KCFD firefighters with criminal records — including violent offenses — have remained on the job, often shielded from serious discipline by a powerful labor union.
To streamline the reporting process and provide a better picture of how widespread the issue might be, The Star built a custom AI tool that automatically searched public court records for hundreds of names of current and former Kansas City Fire Department employees. It flagged matches with criminal cases and provided links to the case numbers.
Reporters could then look up the cases and verify that the individuals worked for KCFD. The tool saved reporters an enormous amount of time compared to using only traditional search methods.
Among the stories that were developed as a result:
–A firefighter charged with sodomy and rape in 2023 who then pleaded guilty to harassment and was sentenced to three years’ probation.
–A KCFD captain who remained on the job for more than a year after being arrested a fourth time for drunken driving.
–A former longtime Kansas City firefighter who assaulted a fellow firefighter at Station 27, 6600 E. Truman Road, last year in an incident that co-workers said ended when they pulled him off the victim.
–A fire captain facing charges of first-degree harassment and assault for allegedly striking a fellow firefighter forcefully in the rectum, causing severe pain that required medical treatment.
It’s important to note that AI didn’t write a single word of these stories. That was the work of the reporters. But what it did was help us take a broad idea and quickly gather evidence to support it. And that process allowed the journalists to focus on deeper, more human reporting.
Readers can watch for more stories from this project in the coming weeks.
Still on the job with KCFD
Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins, a KCFD spokesperson, confirmed that Van Horn is still with the department, currently holding the position of firefighter. He also has training and qualifications to be a fire apparatus operator, Hopkins said. He declined to say whether Van Horn is currently authorized to drive a fire apparatus, noting that the department does not comment on legal or personnel issues.
City records show that Van Horn has worked for the department since Oct. 12, 2020. His 2025 salary is $59,871.
Van Horn could not be reached for comment about the case. His attorney, Charles Regan, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Tabitha Perkins, Missouri’s state executive director for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said those who drive while impaired must be held accountable, no matter who they are or who they work for.
“MADD supports the full justice for all individuals that are driving impaired, regardless of their status or regardless of their profession,” Perkins said. “We want all impaired drivers to go through the justice system, and we encourage the justice system to hand down punishment evenly to every offender … ”
Two years of probation, she said, “in our opinion is not enough.”
“But unfortunately, that is what we do see through our court monitoring program,” she said. “It’s a very standard sanction for first-time, and honestly, second-time offenders.”
Refused a breath test
The sheriff’s deputy wrote in the probable cause statement that when he came in contact with Van Horn once the SUV was stopped last year, “I immediately detected the strong odor of intoxicants coming from Van Horn’s person.”
“Van Horn’s eyes were watery and bloodshot,” the statement said. “As he stood in front of his vehicle, Van Horn had a circular sway.”
His responses to questions were evasive and vague, the deputy wrote, adding that when a detective asked Van Horn where he lived, he only pointed to the east and said, “That way.”
“Van Horn’s speech was slurred, mumbled, and at times incoherent,” the document said. He was placed under arrest at 1:42 a.m., it said, and refused to take a breath test even after being told his license would be revoked for one year if he didn’t comply.
Van Horn was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital on Barry Road, the statement said, complaining about shortness of breath. After the detective obtained a search warrant to draw blood, it said, Van Horn told hospital staff he would not comply.
But at 4:17 a.m., it said, he changed his mind.
As part of Van Horn’s sentencing, the judge also ordered him to perform 100 hours of community service, complete a Substance Abuse Traffic Offender Program and attend a Victim Impact Panel.
Court records show Van Horn completed the VIP program on Feb. 25 and the traffic offender program on April 6. On July 14, the court was notified that he’d completed his community service with the Missouri Department of Conservation.
The Star’s Mike Hendricks contributed reporting.
This story was originally published October 31, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
