App Data Shows Speed Not Involved in Fire Tanker Crash in Woodland, PA

The assistant chief of BJW Volunteer Fire Company, accused of speeding before his fire tanker crashed last week, used technology to show otherwise.

During a Bradford Township Supervisors meeting, Assistant Chief Brian Knepp showed data captured on the Life 360 app, which his family uses to track location and driving speeds via GPS.

“What it shows is my speed from the time I started that trip to the time I stopped,” Knepp said, adding that fire engine reached a top speed of 25 mph on the hill and had slowed to 13 mph just before the crash occurred, WTAJ reported.

The crash occurred along Graham Road on Jan. 29 while Knepp and another firefighter were responding to a call. The rig slid on the pavement, described as a sheet of ice.

“I started at the top of the hill, and as soon as I touched the brakes at the top of the hill, I knew we were in trouble at that point. There was nothing, we couldn’t even slow down. It  wouldn’t do anything.”

Knepp defended himself after Bradford Township Supervisor and Road Master Ron Kristen, said he believed the truck was traveling at a dangerous speed. He said he thought the truck was going to hit him.

“I don’t know how fast you were going, but I know it was too fast,” Kristen said.

Knepp told officials and citizens at the meeting: “You know a lot of people say that fire trucks, ambulances and police drive too fast. How I look at things is if it were my house, how fast would I want them to travel to my house to try and save whatever they could.”