‘Gentle giant,’ hit and killed by SUV, was rising above struggles with autism

Ryan Rossiter was on foot again the moment he died.

The 24-year-old from Belton was walking in Gladstone after finishing an overnight shift at his latest job, doggedly making his way as he has been doing all his life while living with autism.

He was struck and killed by an SUV just north of N.E. 73rd Terrace and Missouri 1 about 2:50 a.m. Saturday.

He was a strong man, a loving man, and determined to make it on his own, his older brother, Corey Rossiter, said.

“We were proud of him,” the brother said. “He was just beginning to live his life. No one saw this coming.”

Police are still piecing together what happened. The SUV drove off from the scene where Rossiter was killed, but investigators have made contact with the driver, police said. No more information was available Sunday night.

The circumstances that placed Rossiter out at nearly 3 a.m., walking toward his home far away in Independence, mirrored his struggles and his tenacity.

His family is left sorting it out, waiting for police to reveal more, and seeking help from the public for the sudden funeral costs through a GoFundMe.com memorial page.

Ryan Rossiter was working an overnight shift because he was new on the job, at a manufacturing plant near the airport.

He was walking because he was still working on getting a driver’s license.

He was walking because a dispute of some kind between him and the person who was giving him a ride home Saturday morning had resulted in Rossiter being put out of the car.

Life wasn’t easy for Rossiter, but he kept working at it, Corey Rossiter said.

In May, Ryan Rossiter had moved to Michigan. It was an exciting venture for him. He rejoined a friend from his childhood who was also rising above a developmental disability. Rossiter was determined to make it on his own, and he was doing it, his brother said.

He was working by-the-hour warehouse jobs, walking or riding a bike to get there. He was a strong man — 6-foot-4, and some 260 pounds — and a hard worker who could always get jobs, Corey Rossiter said.

He had just returned to the Kansas City area at the first of December because he decided he wanted to return to live with a woman friend and her children. Ryan Rossiter “was great with kids” and he loved being a part of that family.

His work ethic fueled his workouts in gyms. He was “a gentle giant” who dreamed of becoming a professional wrestling star.

He knew that he didn’t have some of the skills or talents others enjoyed, Corey Rossiter said, “so to make up for it he tried to work his butt off.”

He was the fourth of five siblings and the youngest of three brothers. He was considered as high-functioning autistic, his brother said, which often placed him in a gray area of not being able to get the high level of supports he needed in school.

His mother fought to get Ryan Rossiter the best education she could, his brother said. Now the family needs help getting him the funeral services he deserves, he said, and they’re waiting for answers from the police.

“None of us knows what to do,” Corey Rossiter said.

This story was originally published December 10, 2017 at 7:05 PM with the headline "‘Gentle giant,’ hit and killed by SUV, was rising above struggles with autism."