By Edward Mason and Jessica Van Sack
The Boston Herald
AP Photo/John Cetrino
Firefighters from his squad carry the body of Lt. Kevin Kelley Friday. |
AP Photo/John Cetrino |
BOSTON — Fire Commissioner Roderick Fraser is expected within days to name a board of inquiry to look into the tragic Mission Hill ladder truck crash that killed one veteran Hub firefighter, injured three others and sent several bystanders to nearby hospitals, Boston Fire Department spokesman Steve MacDonald said.
The board will probe the causes of the crash and recommend ways to prevent future accidents, but MacDonald said a report likely will take months to complete.
MacDonald said the body of Lt. Kevin M. Kelley, 52, was taken by the state medical examiner shortly after the crash.
"Tonight, we just want to ask the people of Boston to pray for the Kelley family and the three other firefighters and the children injured today,'' fire union President Ed Kelly said. "We look forward to getting some answers to the question of how this horrific accident happened.''
The cause of yesterday's 2:30 p.m. crash at 835 Huntington Ave. has yet to be determined, an investigative source said. One scenario is that the brakes locked, perhaps explaining skid marks at the scene, the source said.
MacDonald said the maintenance records for the ladder truck will not be released to the public until after the department completes its probe.
A top Bay State fire official said the midday mayhem that killed Kelley is becoming all too commonplace.
"There's a lot of history (with fatal fire accidents) across the country,'' said the official, who requested anonymity. He added firefighters die more often in crashes than fighting blazes.
The investigation into yesterday's crash will be a painstaking probe that will be overseen by the district attorney's office and involve the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Any probe, experts said, must begin with an accident reconstruction, usually handled by police.
The next step will be a forensic examination of the Ladder 26 truck, a 1995 model. The truck struck a vacant building on the same street last year, according to several fire and city officials. Brake failure was to blame in that accident, but no one was injured, multiple sources said.
The same truck also rear-ended a car at Huntington and Longwood avenues Dec. 10, causing minor damage and no injuries, The Assocated Press reported, adding that an investigation found no problem with the truck's brakes.
Copyright 2009 Boston Herald Inc.
