Security guard killed in hit and run crash
Kansas City MO January 8 2024
For as long as Rochell Handley could remember, her youngest brother, James Eatman, had an adventurous soul. Born with a curious mind and a fearless nature, Eatman was always the first to volunteer for something new and exciting. Handley watched as her brother grew into a strong and confident man who would become the backbone of her family. “Even though he was the youngest, he was our rock,” says Handley. “He was always the most dependable person who was there for anyone who needed help or just someone to talk to, and I will miss him
Eatman, 51, a security guard and father of one, died Dec. 12 when the driver of a stolen Hyundai Sonata was speeding the wrong way and crashed into Eatman’s Cadillac at East 31st Street and Agnes Avenue, Kansas City police said.
Handley is in shock over the sudden loss of her brother, and she and her family are hoping for answers about the senseless death. No one has been charged in the crash. “We have been holding up as best we can, but it still hasn’t really hit me that he is gone yet,” she said. A man with a large and muscular build from years of weightlifting, Eatman, a Kansas City native and graduate of Van Horn High School, was fiercely protective of his loved ones. “He was a loyal and faithful person to everyone who knew him,” said his older sister. “James was like the mediator and was really good at talking to people and being able to see everyone’s point of view to find a middle ground.”