Woman, 26, dies after being struck 'at full speed' by veteran fire captain who was rushing to help a trapped deer...now there's an important question he's refusing to answer

Published: 00:29, 9 June 2026 | Updated: 00:29, 9 June 2026 A 26-year-old woman was killed after a fire captain with more than 30 years of experience struck her with his emergency vehicle while rushing to a scene for a trapped deer in Missouri.  Cottleville Fire Protection District captain Brian Gettemeier, 53, was driving a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck that did not have emergency lights or sirens on at the time of the accident, according to a police report cited by the St. Louis Dispatch. Stacy Youngers was walking across a road on June 14, 2025 when she was struck by Gettemeier's vehicle.  The firefighter and his legal representatives have refused to answer the question of whether he was looking at his phone at the time of the crash. The Daily Mail has reached out to them for comment. A witness who said she was several car lengths behind the fire captain said he was driving at 'full speed' and did not see his vehicle slow down until after Youngers was hit. The witness also claimed that Gettemeier appeared distracted because he was 'looking down, diverting his attention away from the roadway' as he turned left. Gettemeier told police five days after the incident that he checked several times on either side of the road before striking the young woman but did not see her. The fire captain told officials that at the time of the crash, he was using three electronic devices: a battalion chief phone through the vehicle's Bluetooth, an iPad in the center console for visual directions, and his personal phone for audio directions. Cottleville Fire Protection District captain Brian Gettemeier, 53, was driving a emergency vehicle while rushing to a scene of a trapped deer in Missouri Stacy Youngers was struck by the fire captain as she was walking across a road on June 14, 2025  Cottleville Fire Protection District gave police the battalion chief's phone and consented to its search, according to the outlet. However, Gettemeier and his lawyer refused to turn in his personal phone but later provided officials with 'phone records' related to Gettemeier's phone. Gettemeier's lawyer, Neil Bruntrager, did not respond to the St. Louis Dispatch when asked if Gettemeier was looking at his personal phone during the crash. The fire captain also did not give a comment to the outlet. According to the report, Youngers was on her phone when she was hit. A witness said Gettemeier entered 'responder mode' following the accident, as he rushed to check on the woman until an ambulance arrived. She was pronounced dead on the scene. Investigators said a toxicology was performed after the crash and found that Gettemeier was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol.  Another fire crew was already at the scene of where the deer was trapped in the sewer drain.  Youngers’ parents sued the fire captain for wrongful death. Gettemeier's lawyer wrote that the young woman's recklessness put her at fault, according to the outlet. Gettemeier, 53, was driving a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck that did not have emergency lights or sirens on at the time of the accident, according to a police report cited by the St. Louis Dispatch According to the report, Youngers was on her phone when she was hit. She was pronounced dead at the scene   The attorney added that she tried to cross the road in a section without a crosswalk and 'without keeping a careful lookout.' The Daily Mail has reached out to Rachel Bates, Gettemeier's lawyer, for comment. Cottleville Fire Protection District Chief David Schmidt told the Dispatch that the district's lawyer advised him not to comment. The Daily Mail has also reached out to the fire department. Youngers obituary noted she would be remembered for 'her kindness, her fun-loving spirit, and her incredible sense of fashion.' Instead of leaving flowers in her honor, her friends and family were asked to bring a dog or cat toy to be donated to her local shelter in her name. 'Celebrations of Life' were held in July on two separate occasions in tribute to the young woman. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.