‘He should be in jail’: Protestors call for accountability as KC firefighter heads back to work
Emotions are running high for the friends and families killed in a Westport crash on Dec. 15
By Alex Love
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KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KCTV) — Emotions are running high for the friends and families killed in a Westport crash on Dec. 15, 2021. Those friends and families are speaking out in protest now that the firefighter who caused it is back on the job.
Protestors don’t want Kansas City firefighter Dominic Biscari ever to be behind the wheel while responding to calls. Court documents show he’s allowed to be if he follows probation as part of a settlement with the State of Missouri. That many don’t see any accountability or justice come out of this.
It’s been more than two years since Biscari was driving a firetruck to a call for the first time but collided with Jennifer San Nicolas and Michael Elwood on a Honda at the intersection of Broadway and Westport. The pain hasn’t changed for those who knew them.
“I remember walking down on Christmas morning just to stand where she died,” Jennifer San Nicolas longtime friend Aislinn Bird recalled. “And try to make peace with it but there is no peace with no justice.”
“Michael deserved better and everyone in this city deserved better,” Maggie Demeulmeester, a friend of Michael Elwood, added. “We don’t need to be fearing for our lives in this city from someone who is supposed to save lives.”
The accident also claimed the life of Tami Knight who was struck while walking on the sidewalk. Because Biscari had a history of driving recklessly on the job, protestors argue supervised probation is not good enough.
“They need to fire Dominic Biscari immediately,” Demeulmeester argued. “Dominic Biscari killed my best friend. As far as I’m concerned, he should be in jail.”
“I think that he should definitely not be behind the wheel,” Ashley Christensen said. “There were multiple incidents before this. How many more lives need to be lost before he’s not behind the wheel.”
In the long run, those who gathered demand Kansas City leaders also invest in sensors at all intersections to alert drivers to stop when first responders are coming through.
“Sensors are step one and better training for our drivers,” Bird suggested. “More background checks, more sensitivity to the complaints from others in the department.”
KCTV reached out to Dominic Biscari’s lawyer for any defense of his client returning to work and able to drive emergency vehicles on calls but never heard back.
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