Huddled together in the frigid cold near a nondescript bench in Mission Hill, over a dozen firefighters laid flowers and a wreath at a commemoration site Thursday to pay homage to a 30-year Boston Fire Department veteran who was killed in an accident 11 years ago.
Kevin Kelley, 52, was killed on Jan. 9, 2009, when the ladder truck he was riding in the passenger seat of barreled down Parker Hill Avenue and crashed into a high-rise building on Huntington Avenue.
The fire department’s investigation concluded that because there were no skid marks at the scene, there was likely a problem with the truck’s brakes and it was thus unable to stop when it came down the steep hill.
“It was a tragedy that should have been avoided,” said Boston Fire Commissioner Joseph Finn. “Kevin was a great guy. I was fortunate enough to work with him out on Ladder 26 as a lieutenant and a captain, and he was a truly dedicated firefighter who cared about his men.”
In addition to his fellow firefighters, Kelley’s family was in attendance of the ceremony, including his daughter Susan, who has been working as an alarm operator with the department for the past seven and a half years.
She said she joined the department to carry on the tradition that her father and his father before him had set.
“I feel very honored to be here. I think it’s special that they still celebrate him 11 years later and we’re still out here, honoring him and remembering him,” Susan said. “I don’t even have any words for everybody standing out here today.”
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