Browse
Log in / Register
Share
A security camera in an Independence cul-de-sac captured the moment a fire truck scraped along the side of a parked Toyota Camry, leaving deep scratches and dented metal. The firefighters inside later told police they did not believe they had hit anything, according to a crash report released this week. The vehicle’s owner, Ashanti Grant, is now urging the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office to independently review the video and the police findings.
The collision happened Wednesday, April 22, near East 41st Street South and Kerrington Drive. Police were called to Fire Station Two at 5:42 p.m. — about an hour and forty minutes after the impact — after Grant went to the firehouse herself to ask questions. Police records show no indication that any firefighter reported the crash before that visit.
The Independence Police Department’s crash report, written by Officer Brett Schmidli and reviewed by Sgt. Jeff Buck, identifies the fire truck as Truck No. 2 and names Jude Buxton as the driver. The report lists “distraction” as a probable contributing circumstance and marks “no” under the category for leaving the scene. The narrative states that the fire truck’s personnel told officers “they did not believe they struck the vehicle and left the scene responding back to their station.”
But the security footage, obtained through a public-records request and reviewed by KMBC Investigates, tells a more complicated story. The video shows the fire engine entering the cul-de-sac and starting a multipoint turn. The back passenger side of the truck makes contact with the Camry’s driver-side door, and the car shifts from the force. The fire engine stops immediately.
A firefighter steps down from the truck, walks around the rear, and approaches the area near the damaged Camry. In the video, the firefighter appears to extend a hand toward the dented panel, then climbs back into the truck. The truck exits the camera frame two minutes and twenty-two seconds after the initial impact.
Grant said the sequence leaves little doubt about what the crew saw. “They got out and some were approaching already, looked at it and left,” she said. “I would appreciate accountability from not just them but the prosecutor in not allowing this to pass as an ‘I didn’t know.’”
She also questioned the decision to turn a long vehicle in a tight dead-end street. “Why turn around in a cul-de-sac knowing the length of your vehicle?” Grant asked. “The driver’s abilities need to be reevaluated in my opinion.”
No charges have been filed against Buxton or any other firefighter. The crash report’s “no” for leaving the scene reflects police acceptance of the crew’s account that they were unaware of the collision. Under Missouri law, a hit-and-run charge generally requires proof that a driver knowingly left the scene of an accident. If the firefighters truly had no knowledge of the impact, criminal charges would be difficult to pursue.
That legal distinction may not settle the broader question of accountability. Public employees who drive city-owned vehicles are typically expected to report any incident involving their vehicle, even minor scrapes. The video showing a firefighter walking close to the damaged car could become part of an internal disciplinary review, separate from any criminal inquiry.
Independence city officials have acknowledged the incident. A spokesperson said the city is investigating what happened and has provided Grant with a claims packet to begin the process of getting her car repaired. Grant said that packet arrived only after KMBC Investigates began asking questions about the case.
The Independence Fire Department has not publicly commented on the crash or the ongoing review. The city spokesperson declined to discuss personnel matters or the investigation in detail. It also remains unclear whether the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office has been asked to review the case. As of April 26, no referral has been made public.
The central dispute is whether the firefighters noticed the fresh scrape on the Camry before heading back to the station. The video does not show anyone pointing or speaking about the damage, and the released footage has no audio. But the firefighter who approached the car was close enough to see the dented door and visible paint transfer from the red truck.
Supporters of the crew might argue that a heavy fire engine has significant blind spots and that minor contact at low speeds may not always be felt in the cab. The crash report’s mention of distraction suggests the driver’s attention was occupied with something else at the critical moment. Still, the fact that a firefighter got off the truck and walked near the exact spot of the damage makes the later denial harder to accept, at least in Grant’s view.
Legal experts say the outcome may hinge on what the firefighters did after stepping off the truck rather than what they thought in the cab. If a crew member touched or examined the damaged panel, that person could be seen as someone who had reason to know a collision occurred. Whether that knowledge would have been communicated to the driver is another question.
KMBC Investigates has published the unedited security footage so the public can examine the sequence on its own. The full video shows the truck approaching, the impact, the firefighter’s movements, and the eventual departure. Residents in the quiet neighborhood have said they were surprised to learn that such a visible incident was not reported for nearly two hours.
The city’s internal review could lead to changes in how Independence fire crews handle minor collisions or equipment damage. At a minimum, the case has renewed attention on the importance of documenting any contact involving emergency vehicles, even when no injuries are apparent.
For Grant, the immediate concern is simple: she needs her car repaired, and she wants accountability. She said she has not received a timeline from the city for the claim process. She also said she has not been contacted by the prosecutor’s office about a possible review. The city has not said whether it intends to discipline any employee.
The crash report’s classification of the incident as one in which the crew “did not believe they struck the vehicle” has not been independently confirmed. Grant said she believes the video contradicts that statement. She is asking the public and the legal system to weigh the footage against the word of uniformed firefighters.
As the week ended, the Independence Police Department had no further comment. The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office did not respond to requests for information by publication time. Fire Station Two has also not responded to messages left at its front desk.
The case illustrates how a minor traffic incident can become a major credibility test for a public safety agency. When residents see emergency vehicles involved in a crash, the expectation is that the department will handle it with the same transparency required of any driver. Whether that happened here is now for investigators, and possibly the courts, to decide.
