Boston firefighter killed in truck crash mourned

QUINCY, Mass. -- Thousands of firefighters from the U.S. and Canada have gathered to pay their respects to Boston Fire Lt. Kevin Kelley.

A wake was held Tuesday in Quincy for the veteran firefighter who died when the ladder truck he was on careened down a steep hill and crashed into an apartment building on Huntington Avenue. The accident on Friday prompted the fire department to order immediate inspections of the brake systems on dozens of other city fire trucks.

One of Kelley's three daughters, Susan Kelley, said the family was grateful for the outpouring of support from the community and other firefighters since her father's death. She described her father as "very funny guy," who loved his family and his job.

A funeral Mass for the 52-year-old Kelley is scheduled for Wednesday at St. Ann Church in Quincy.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)