Family members want justice after father of 9 was hit by car in June near Truman Marketplace

GRANDVIEW, Mo. (KCTV) - For the last 83 days, family members say they’ve waited for justice after a driver hit and killed a man who was walking near Blue Ridge Boulevard, not far from the Truman Marketplace in Grandview.

Relatives say 42-year-old Robert Gatewell had nine children.

According to family members, Gatewell was walking along Blue Ridge Boulevard in a grassy area when he was hit by a driver who swerved onto the shoulder of the road on June 8 around 9:08 a.m.

“He was way off in the grass,” Gatewell’s sister, LaRoshia Brooks, says. “He was out of the man’s way.”

They say Gatewell had just left a business that recently hired him.

Family members say they viewed several heartbreaking surveillance videos from businesses near the crash location.

“The speed limit is 35. He was definitely going well over because my brother is a big guy and, when he hit him, he like flew like a piece of paper,” Brooks says. “He did say it was an accident. He admitted to being distracted. He said he dropped something on the floor and he swerved but, looking at the video, honestly I don’t believe that.”

According to Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Major Crash Investigation Unit should complete the crash report in the investigation soon. Once the report is complete, it will be submitted to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office to determine if charges will be filed.

Relatives hope the driver is arrested and charged.

“He was driving so fast when he hit my brother, his car never stopped,” Brooks says. “He stopped a ways down the street.”

Relatives say they want justice for a son, brother and father who is missed.

“I loved him to death. He was my son,” Gatewell’s mother Dorothy Williams says. “He was a mama’s boy. He loved his kids and his family.”

Relatives set up a GoFundMe account to help with unexpected funeral expenses.

Also on KCTV5.com this week:

Community heartbroken after teacher on bicycle is killed in hit-and-run

‘Everyone wanted to be his friend’: Teacher killed in hit-and-run leaves wife, 10 children behind

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