KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Family and friends fondly remembered Tami Knight as a friend who had a passion for photography and helping others.
Police identified Knight, 41, as the pedestrian who died Wednesday as she walked on the sidewalk when a Kansas City, Missouri, Fire Department pumper truck struck another vehicle and crashed in a building in Westport.
The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department announced all three victims in the deadly crash Wednesday, but family had previously identified the man and woman in the passenger vehicle who died.
KSHB 41 News reporter Megan Abundis confirmed Monday that, in addition to her focus on photography, Knight was a research analyst for the Kansas City, Missouri, Public School District.
“Tami was so good at so many things and photography was definitely something she really excelled at both for work and for herself," Courtney Crutcher, a friend of Knight's said. "She was an amazing photographer of abstract art."
Manny Abarca, a member of the KCPS Board of Education, described Knight as an important member of the district and critical to the district's administration.
It is incredibly sad to have lost such an awesome and important member of the @kcpublicschools family. My thoughts and prayers are with all the families impact by this terrible accident. #KansasCity https://t.co/M6nhWmXrv0
— Manny Abarca (@MannyforKC) December 20, 2021
Kelly Wachel, a spokeswoman for KCPS remembered Knight as a "quiet, rockstar data analyst."
"The night of her death, she spent time telling each of her teammates personally why she was grateful for each them," Wachel told KSHB 41 News in an email. "It gives me emotional goosebumps just thinking about it."
“Kansas City lost a good person," Crutcher said. "Her church and community, the world lost a good person. She was an incredible person that wanted to be positive for everybody. She was so good at being herself."
Knight was walking on a sidewalk along Broadway Boulevard shortly after 10 p.m. on Dec. 15 in the Westport Entertainment District.
A KCFD pumper truck responding to a fire call in the area crashed into an SUV. The vehicles then continued onto the sidewalk and hit Knight before striking a building that used to house the Riot Room music venue.
The investigation into the incident, which also killed 41-year-old Jennifer San Nicholas and 25-year-old Michael Elwood, continued Monday.
