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Updated: 5:18 PM CDT - KMBC 9 News Investigative Reporter
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. —
An Independence fire truck hit a parked car last week in a cul-de-sac near East 41st Street South and Kerrington Drive as it tried to turn around.
Ashanti Grant, the owner of the damaged Toyota Camry, said she was surprised and frustrated by the lack of communication after the crash, especially since it does not appear firefighters left a note.
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"Nobody knocked on any door, and nobody left no number, nothing," Grant said.
Grant learned about the crash last Wednesday when her brother texted her, asking what had happened to her car.
A neighbor's security camera revealed that Independence Fire Truck Two hit the Camry and dragged along its side, breaking a mirror and causing a big dent in her front fender.
Firefighters down the street walked up to the truck, then helped it back up and turn around.
The firefighters then got back into the truck and left.
The video shows the fire truck turning and pulling out of frame two minutes and 22 seconds after the impact.
Grant said the crash left her in a difficult financial position.
"I was really, really dependent on being able to sell this car, and it really put me in, like, a messed-up spot," Grant said.
Criminal defense attorney John Picerno, who is not involved in the case, reviewed the footage and said the driver's actions could be a focus for prosecutors.
"It is quite shocking to see that happen, at any time, but particularly in this day and age where we know everything’s on camera, right?" Picerno said.
He added that drivers are generally expected to report accidents to police immediately after leaving the scene.
"Over the 30 years I've been practicing law, if you leave the scene of the accident, then they're going to expect that you go to a police station and report it as your next stop," Picerno said.
KMBC 9 Investigates asked Independence police if the driver of the firetruck reported the crash.
An Independence police technician provided a report on Tuesday showing that officers responded to the fire house at 5:42 p.m., approximately an hour and forty minutes after the crash.
According to the report, police got called after Grant went to Fire Station Two to ask what had happened.
A search of police records did not indicate any other records that firefighters reported the crash to police, according to the police technician.
KMBC asked an Independence police spokeswoman and a City of Independence spokeswoman if firefighters reported the crash and if the case will be forwarded to prosecutors.
A city spokeswoman declined further comment.
An earlier statement sent by the spokeswoman said the city was investigating the crash and provided a way for Grant to file a claim.
"I feel like it needs to be treated like a crime," Grant said. "Just because you wear a uniform doesn't mean you get special treatment."
Grant said she plans to file a claim and is asking for help.
"Just any type of help with my situation," she said.
Oct. 22, 2026
"It is quite shocking to see that happen, at any time, but particularly in this day and age where we know everything’s on camera, right?" Picerno said.
Read MoreOct. 6, 2026
"If it's a close call, officers are going to get the benefit of the doubt in terms of whether their actions were reasonable or not," Picerno said. "Number one, obey everything the officer tells you to do. Number two, do not move. Do not move your hands. Do not give the officer the chance to make a mistaken belief that you are somehow going for a firearm. Don't give them that opportunity."
Read MoreSept. 16, 2026
"As a prosecutor, he has a duty not to file a case unless he believes beyond a reasonable doubt that he can prove his case," Picerno said. "You may disagree with his opinion on the outcome of how to deal with it. I don't think anyone could say he didn't give a serious thought to the incident."
Read MoreTa’Rod Glenel Perkins, 28, received six years and two months in prison. U.S. Chief District Judge Brian C. Wimes also sentenced him to five years of supervised release for the robbery in which he used a firearm, according to a news release from Candice Jamoles, a public affairs specialist with the United States Attorney R. Matthew Price Western District of Missouri.
Perkins pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, the release said.
The robbery occurred Feb. 13, 2025. In his written plea agreement, Perkins said he entered the Kansas City CVS wearing a mask, black coat, blue jeans and gloves, Price’s office said.
“Witnesses reported that the robber had a handgun and stated: ‘I want Promethazine and Oxy,’” it said. “‘I don’t want any trouble. Just give me Promethazine and Oxy.’”
Perkins hopped the counter, the release said, and took a red tub that was filled with controlled substances. CVS employees managed to put a tracking device into the tub. Because of that, authorities were able to track Perkins to a residence in Belton.
“A firearm was later recovered from a neighbor who found it hidden under a barbeque grill on the deck,” the news release said. “Law enforcement officials swabbed the firearm for genetic material and DNA comparative analysis tended to show that Perkins’s DNA was present on the firearm.”
Aug. 20, 2026
“Witnesses reported that the robber had a handgun and stated: ‘I want Promethazine and Oxy,’” it said. “‘I don’t want any trouble. Just give me Promethazine and Oxy.’”
Read MoreAug. 4, 2026
Picerno said the officers did not know the handgun was a replica when they encountered Aubrey. He said regardless of whether officers believed the gun was real, Aubrey never pointed it at officers or anyone else after they arrived. Aubrey did not pose the threat necessary to justify deadly force, Picerno said. Read more at: https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article316755045.html#storylink=cpy
Read MoreMay 28, 2026
A Jackson County grand jury has indicted a Kansas City man this week in connection with a fatal 2024 hit-and-run crash in Kansas City, court records show.
Read MoreMay 19, 2026
“Any case that he’s involved in, dating back a number of years now, is going to be looked at with a fine-toothed comb and gone over,” Picerno said. “And certainly, if he’s a central key witness and his credibility was, let’s say, for instance, in most cases, if it’s a one witness case, potentially, and his credibility was the central factor in that kind of a case, then any convictions that came from those convictions are going to be looked at very hard.
Read MoreMay 4, 2026
Although prosecutors declined to file charges against Burnette, the fatal encounter was unnecessary, according to John Picerno, an attorney representing Williams’ family in the lawsuit filed in late March in Jackson County Court. “We believe he unjustly took Kenneth’s life, which represents a profound breach of the public trust placed in law-enforcement officers,” Picerno wrote me in a text message. “His actions were reckless, unreasonable, and unjustified, and no person who engages in such conduct can safely or responsibly serve in any law enforcement capacity.”
Read MoreApril 14, 2026
Regarding the police conduct of the pursuit, Kansas City attorney John Picerno, who has represented families suing the department, said police chase cases are difficult to win because the laws are written in a way that protects police departments. “Car chases are a different thing entirely, and the law in Missouri is not favorable to plaintiffs in those types of lawsuits,” Picerno said in a phone interview. “Unfortunately, the laws need to be changed in order for plaintiffs to be able to pursue and win a claim under those circumstances.”
Read MoreApril 2, 2026
“Mrs. Wilson has lost her son, people have lost loved ones,” Picerno said. “It’s always a heartbreaking thing for any parent to go through to lose your child.”
Read More