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Report: Apparatus in crash that killed 3 was speeding

A recent police report found that the Phoenix Fire Department fire truck involved in an April 2019 crash was going at least 20 miles per hour over the speed limit

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By Laura French

PHOENIX — A report released Wednesday on an apparatus crash that killed three members of a young family in April 2019 found that the Phoenix Fire Department (PFD) fire truck involved was speeding at the time of the collision.

The Phoenix Police Department report stated the fire truck was traveling at least 20 miles per hour over the speed limit when the crash occurred.

The report also revealed that the driver of the other vehicle, 20-year old Kenneth “Chase” Collins, was driving without a valid license and had marijuana in his system at the time of the crash, CBS 5 reported.

The collision killed Collins, 19-year-old Dariana Serrano and their 3-month-old son, also named Kenneth.

The fire truck had its lights and sirens on when it struck the pickup, which had made a left turn in front of the apparatus.

“The last recorded average speed for Engine 18 before the collision was 65 miles per hour,” the report stated.

According to the report, the engine had at one point been traveling at 69 miles per hour in the 40-mile-per-hour zone and was going 60 miles per hour at the moment of impact.

A fire captain who was in the engine said he did not believe Collins saw the apparatus, and an eyewitness said the pickup turned without coming to a stop.

PFD policy permits fire trucks to go up to 10 miles over the posted speed limit when responding to calls.

Relatives of the three people killed in the crash have claimed negligence by the Phoenix Fire Department and are seeking $25 million in a wrongful death lawsuit against the city.

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is reviewing the case. No criminal charges have been filed.

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