KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Heartbroken family members are remembering an eight-year-old Kansas City boy tragically killed while playing outside his home on Saturday.
Jordan Hale died after getting hit by a van over the weekend near Northeast Winn and North Bellefontaine.
RELATED: Neighbors of 8-year-old hit and killed by van speak out
Family members sat looking at pictures, remembering happier times with eight-year-old Hale.
“Jordan was a very, very outgoing little boy, very loving. He loved everybody. He had so much love to give to everybody,” said Georgia Kimmel, Hale’s aunt.
Hale especially loved sports and dreamed of one day becoming a professional baseball player.
“He loved his Chiefs and he loved his Jayhawks,” said Kimmel.
But Saturday night Hale’s dreams were suddenly cut short. Police say the second grader and his six-year-old best friend, Jesus “Chewy” Gutiérrez, were riding on their skateboards downhill, outside Hale’s Kansas City home, when a van hit both boys. Hale died instantly. His friend Jesus was rushed to the hospital with critical injuries, including head trauma. He has since been listed in good condition.
“The ball rolled down the hill and he went down the hill and the lady hit him. She’s an elderly lady. The officer said she was 87,” said Kimmel about the woman driving the van which struck her nephew.
Angie Marcus, Hale’s cousin, is have a hard time coping with the news.
“It’s unimaginable to be told the words of ‘an eight-year-old has been killed by an accident.’ It was very hard,” said Marcus.
Hale’s tragic death is the latest hardship for this family. Early last month Hale’s cousin, 22-year-old Latisha Hare, was found dead inside of a burning house in KCK. The death was believed to be the result of a homicide.
RELATED: Police identify woman found in burning KCK home
About three weeks later, Latisha’s brother, Joshua Hare, charged with murder and now Jordan’s mom, must bury her baby boy.
“I know Jordan’s in heaven,” said Kimmel. “Yes, baby Jordan, rest in peace.”
RELATED: Joshua Hare turns himself into police
Funeral arrangements for Hale have not yet been announced, but his family does plan to hold a candlelight vigil on Wednesday. On Monday, Gutiérrez was still in the hospital in critical yet stable condition.
People living in the neighborhood near North Bellefontaine and Northeast Winn say sidewalks could have made the difference in this accident. Neighbors say they need the sidewalks so people don’t have to walk and play in the streets. They say kids even have to wait in the street to catch the bus to school in the morning.
“I think it’s more safer (sic) that way, if someone wanted to walk and wouldn’t have to worry about a car hitting them, or that way the car wouldn’t have to worry about, you know, have to move over to the side and it’s just a lot safer for everyone,” said Christina Vogt, a parent who lives nearby.
Kansas City Public Works surveyed and reviewed the area just two weeks ago. At this point, they haven’t decided if they’re going to put in sidewalks or not.
