KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City, Missouri, leaders were silent Friday, a day after a KSHB 41 I-Team report about an email detailing complaints and concerns about the KCFD pumper truck driver months before the deadly Westport crash.
The crash from last December killed three people.
The email, filed in court on Thursday along with other documents, talks about the driver being behind the wheel of an ambulance.
The subject line of the email from last September is "horrendous driving." A KCFD paramedic sent it to her captain and battalion chief nearly three months before the crash.
In the email, the paramedic details what happened on her shift from the day before. She called it a "very serious and dangerous situation."
The paramedic also mentioned it wasn't the first time her co-worker's driving had been an issue. She referenced another employee telling her the driver made a medical student "physically ill."
Even with being aware of that, the paramedic said she decided to see how things played out. In the email, she said the driver was going 70 mph on Broadway.
She told him it wasn't necessary, but the email says he replied, "well I had all green lights."
Another situation involves a critical patient who was intubated in the ambulance. The paramedic said she and another co-worker told the driver to slow down. She described him taking "turns so fast" she "fell off the bench seat."
It's the third incident the paramedic said she feared for her life. She said they were going west on 27th Street from Gillham Road.
"...We went airborne over the hill between Gillham and McGee landing and hitting so hard that it jarred my back and gave me instant head pain," the email said.
The paramedic screamed at him to slow down. The email said his response was, "I didn't see that the road dropped out."
The paramedic tells her supervisors she "went home in physical and mental pain." She also said she would "not be getting into another ambulance with him ever again."
The end of her email said, "Please something needs to be done. Not only for the safety of other personnel and other citizens but he is tearing up a brand new ambulance."
The city, fire department, and the driver's attorney did not respond to requests for comment.
The I-Team also contacted Mayor Quinton Lucas and every city council member, but did not get a response about the email on Friday.
On Monday, a spokesperson for Lucas said they do not comment on pending litigation. Several city council members also responded saying they could not comment.
—
We want to hear from you on what resources Kansas City families might benefit from to help us all through the pandemic. If you have five minutes, feel free to fill out this survey to help guide our coverage: KSHB COVID Survey.
