Worn Brakes Cause Fatal Fire Truck Crash
KANSAS CITY, MO – The poorly serviced brakes of a Kansas City fire pumper truck contributed to a fatal crash, according to the Associated Press.
KANSAS CITY, MO – The poorly serviced brakes of a Kansas City fire pumper truck contributed to a fatal crash, according to the Associated Press. The truck had not been in for a routine inspection due to a maintenance backlog, as shown by city records.
Acting Capt. Gerald McGowan was killed on Sept. 5, 2004 when a truck turned left in front of the fire truck. The pumper struck the truck and skidded across the asphalt, hit a stopped car, and crashed into a tree. The driver of the second car and three other firefighters were treated for injuries.
The truck's brakes were "out of adjustment," according to a police report. It also found that the fire truck could have stopped at or near the tree if the brakes worked properly. Since May 2003, the brakes had not been serviced. A seven-step inspection procedure is recommended by the state manual before heading out each day.
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