Devoted Olathe family man who made ‘a better man out of himself’ dies in hit-and-run

In the middle of the night, at exactly 3:09 a.m., Celeste Lamar received a fateful phone call from her daughter Naquia Richard, 26, who was at home with her little sister.

“Mom…,” the daughter began, her next words slow, her voice clearly shaken. Immediately, Lamar sensed trouble.

“I knew something horrible had happened because I could hear it,” recalled Lamar, 47.

Thoughts rushed through Lamar’s mind. She remembered thinking to herself, “No, no, don’t tell me what I think you’re about to tell me.”

Her daughter struggled to find the words. All she could say was, “Dad…he’s gone.”

On Oct. 9, around 1:00 a.m., Overland Park police responded to an accident involving two vehicles on the eastbound side of Interstate 435 just before Metcalf Avenue, police said. When officers arrived on the scene, they found a dead male, lying on the highway on westbound I-435 at Metcalf, according to police.

A preliminary investigation by police determined that George Abasta, 50, an Olathe father of six, was involved in an initial accident and attempted to cross over to the other side of the highway from where his car had stopped, officials said. While walking, Abasta was reportedly struck by a semi-truck, whose driver, police said, did not stop.

The driver of the semi-truck was eventually identified, but has not been publicly named, according to Overland Park police. John Lacy, an Overland Park police spokesperson, said the case remains under investigation.

Meanwhile, a family mourns.

Abasta was raised in San Gabriel, part of the Los Angeles metro area, where gang life and drugs were prevalent, according to his wife. Lamar said Abasta moved from Los Angeles to Kansas City in his late 20s to escape the fast life and pursue a safer, simpler good life.

“He came to make a better man of himself and to have a better life because he got caught up in gangs,” his wife recalled. “He went to prison and when he got out, he said, ‘I don’t want this, I need to leave.’”

So, about 20 years ago, Abasta decided to take a chance and join a relative who was in the process of moving to Kansas City. Abasta brought with him his Los Angeles culture — from the tattoos and shaved head to his swagger. During a recent interview with The Star, Lamar smiled as she reminisced about her husband’s unique style, calling him her “reformed thug.”

Although Abasta may have looked rough around the edges, his wife said, it was merely a façade. She described him as a man who wore his heart on his sleeve, and recalled when they started dating 19 years ago that she was instantly attracted to him.

“When I first saw him, I was like, ‘Oh crap, I’m in trouble,’” Lamar said, laughing. Aside from his bad boy appeal, what sealed the deal for her was his heart for her and her daughter.

In the early 2000s, when the couple started dating, Lamar’s daughter, Naquia, was 7 years old. The mother and daughter were inseparable. No one could come between them. When Abasta came around, he showered the little girl with kindness and attention, Lamar recalled.

She said Abasta even decided to set aside time to take Naquia shopping. Lamar said she knew Abasta was the one for her when he not only stole her heart, but also her daughter’s. Naquia asked Abasta if she could call him dad. He said, “Yes.” He was the only father her daughter knew, Lamar said.

Lamar said her husband loved children, and Naquia was one of six children he leaves behind.

When Abasta wasn’t taking care of his family, or providing for them as an independent contractor, he could often be seen riding in a gold 1987 Lincoln Town Car. Abasta was a proud member of a lowrider group called Juarez Car Club in Kansas City, and enjoyed customizing his car with his friends, his wife said.

What gives Lamar and her family joy at this time of grief is the outpouring of love from the Olathe community, she said.

In the days and weeks after Abasta died, members of the community rushed to Lamar’s home, paying their respects, leaving money, flowers, and sharing fond memories. Some of them Lamar said she didn’t even know. But that didn’t stop them from expressing their appreciation for Abasta.

“Strangers were coming to my door saying, ‘Oh, he helped me with my flat tire, he picked me up.’ It’s unbelievable how much beauty has come from this tragic thing. All the love we’ve received is amazing.”

What bothers Lamar most, however, she said is the apparent lack of remorse from the truck driver who continued on their journey after running her husband down that early morning. She said the driver’s actions were contrary to what Abasta would’ve done.

“If he saw something like that happen to somebody, he would probably chase the trucker down or…just make sure the person was OK.

“He would’ve done something about it,” his wife said. “That’s the kind of man he was.”

This story was originally published October 27, 2023 at 1:19 PM.