Families of fire truck crash victims help install Westport intersection safety system
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) -Now when you drive through the intersection of Westport Road and Broadway, there is a new safety system installed to help emergency responders and make the area safer. It comes more than three years after a deadly crash there involving a Kansas City fire truck.
On December 15, 2021, Dominic Biscari, a firefighter for the Kansas City Fire Department, was driving Pumper 19. It sped through the intersection of Westport and Broadway with its lights and sirens on and ran a red light.
The fire truck hit the vehicle driven by Jennifer San Nicolas, and Michael Elwood was riding inside. Both died in the crash. Tami Knight was also killed, she was waiting on the sidewalk for her boyfriend to unlock his car.
In 2023, KCTV5 learned the city had no plans to install Opticom at the intersection after the deadly crash.
Pumper 19 had an Opticom transponder, but the Westport and Broadway intersection did not have a receiver.
Now, an Opticom 4-way detector sits at Westport and Broadway. It was installed on January 17, 2025, and is online with the City’s system.
The families of Elwood and Knight helped get this technology into the intersection. They paid $7,628 for the Opticom materials and donated it to the City of Kansas City. The City spent 8,923.81 to install the equipment.
This equipment can change a traffic light when an emergency vehicle needs to get through.
Three Years Later
“Three people lost their lives in a needless, avoidable crash,” the lawyer for Elwood’s family, Tim Dollar.
The pain of losing the three still hasn’t gone away for the families, friends, and coworkers.
“They are in our memory here for sure they are very present I can’t really actually believe it has been that long,” said Ragazza Owner/Operator, Laura Norris.
Elwood and San Nicolas both worked at Ragazza.
Norris said she was initially excited to hear Opticom had been installed at the intersection.
“We think those are extraordinarily important this would have never happened, Jen and Michael would still be here if those were installed,” Norris said. “I am thrilled that one is installed but I am sort of embarrassed that the families had to do that. They lost their people and then they had to fund something that the city should do and they do all over the place. We have one right outside our front door for the streetcar.”
“The families are extremely grateful that this has finally come to and as everyone might expect it is part of the healing process,” Dollar said. “One of the ways you get better is by being able to have this legacy that is in his death he can be ed through the fight that his family put up to make changes to improve safety and to save lives in the future.”
In a statement to KCTV5, the family of Tami Knight shared:
“We have donated this technology with the hope this contribution will create a lasting impact to protect the lives of others. We see this as a way to honor Tami’s memory and pray she can be at peace knowing we’ve taken steps to make this intersection safer.”
Now that these are installed, Dollar said the Elwood family will continue to be involved in trying to get this technology installed in other cities.
For Norris, she feels the city needs to have a plan for installing these and pay for it.
“The fact that they (the families) did it is really beautiful however the City should be doing this we shouldn’t the hat for something as important as an emergency sensor,” Norris said.
KCTV5 reached out to the City of Kansas City, KCFD, and the local firefighters union for comment on this story, but did not receive a response.
Norris said she will continue to advocate for the lives lost in ensuring high pedestrian and high traffic areas also get this technology installed. She hopes the city plans to share a map and budget for this in the future.
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