By CHRISTINE VENDEL
A boy killed in a fire truck accident last month probably ran into the truck’s side and tumbled under the rear wheels, according to a Kansas City police report released Thursday.
The fire truck’s driver braked and swerved to the right to try to avoid striking Obarimomoya Nkani, 7, in a crosswalk at Ninth Street and Euclid Avenue as the boy was on his way home from school March 2.
There was no evidence of an impact on the front of the truck, the report said. Police did find evidence, however, on a step behind the left front wheel.
The report estimated the fire truck’s speed at 25 to 31 mph and said that was not excessive. The speed limit on the street was 25 mph, but the truck was operating as an emergency vehicle with lights and sirens activated, so it could exceed the limit with caution, police said.
The boy’s father could not be reached Thursday.
John Kurtz, the attorney representing the boy’s family, said they had not yet seen the report and could not comment on its findings.
But Kurtz said the family’s current sentiment was gratitude for the outpouring of concern and support from the community. School officials helped transfer the boy’s sister and three other children who witnessed the boy’s death to other schools so they would not have to pass by the scene each day.
“This is not a raging family full of venom,” Kurtz said. “They have an overwhelming sense of loss, but also an overwhelming sense of gratitude.”
Prosecutors decided no charges would be filed in the case.
The report also said a large moving truck or city bus that was trying to yield to the fire truck may have prevented the fire truck’s driver from seeing the boy sooner.
The fire truck driver told police the boy sprinted out from behind a westbound bus and into the crosswalk. The driver said he braked and steered to the right but could not go too far because of trees lining the right side of the street.
The report did not address the fire truck’s brakes.
Fire Department officials said last month that the truck had failed its first brake test after the accident but passed two subsequent tests.
Police were present for the first test but not for the later tests. Because police did not have custody of the truck, they said they could not use the second and third test results to gauge the effectiveness of the brakes.
The president of Gooch Brake & Equipment Co., which conducted the first test, later told fire officials the equipment required calibration and the test results should be “rendered invalid.”
Although police don’t have what they would consider valid test results to prove the brakes would pass inspection, they said they thought the brakes worked effectively.
“The truck stopped within two lengths of the truck,” said Detective Chris Petree, who reconstructed the accident. “It did stop pretty quick.”
The 40-page report said several factors contributed to the accident:
•The boy failed to yield to the emergency vehicle and may have been too young to understand he was supposed to.
•Another child was urging the boy to hurry and cross in front of the fire truck.
•The boy had no adult supervision at the time.
