Someone has to know who killed Grandview man in hit-and-run. But will they speak up? | Opinion
On Tuesday, while having a late afternoon lunch at a restaurant on Southwest Boulevard in Kansas City, I noticed a vehicle matching the description of a dark gray four-door Nissan Maxima or Honda Accord law enforcement officials sought in connection with the fatal hit and run that took the life Kyle Clary, a 36-year-old father of three.
Damage to the doors on the driver’s side of the vehicle looked odd. Dents were on each door. This was no T-bone collision, I thought. I pulled out my phone and slyly took video of the vehicle, its damage and the license plate. On camera, the face of the woman driver is clearly shown. I did not get a good shot of the male passenger. But I would know his face if I saw it again.
Of course, there is no way to tell if this car or its occupants had anything to do with Clary’s death. But those closest to the Grandview man believe any small detail could help investigators with the Missouri State Highway Patrol solve the case.
I forwarded the footage to a press contact with the highway patrol. Anyone with information is asked to contact Troop A at 816-622-0800.
“The patrol is continuing to investigate this crash diligently,” a spokesperson wrote in an email. “There is very little to go on at this point, so anyone with any information is encouraged to come forward.”
Clary was fatally struck about 12:25 a.m. June 29 as he walked south on Blue Ridge Boulevard at the intersection of Gregory Boulevard in Raytown, authorities said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. And the driver of a gray four-door sedan fled southbound from the location.
Fiancee: Somebody knows something
On Monday, Clary’s fiancee Brianna Martin sought refuge from the scorching sun. Family members stood beside her under a tree in a church parking lot on Blue Ridge Boulevard and pondered the fairness of life. About a half-block away, a memorial was erected to remember Clary.
For weeks, Martin has tried to bring attention to the fatal hit and run crash that took the life of her fiance. She has contacted any media outlet she could think of. She wants the public to know how much Clary meant to his loved ones. The couple shared an 18-month-old child together. Clary raised Martin’s other two children, 12 and 8, as his own, she said.
Somebody knows something, Martin told me one day before I noticed the gray Maxima. Someone’s car was damaged, she said. Maybe their everyday pattern has changed. Perhaps the driver spoke with someone about the crash.
Martin doesn’t sleep much these days. No one could fault her for being sleep-deprived. She hasn’t returned to her job as an online loan processor for a bank, either. The fatal wreck left Martin reeling. Instead of planning for a wedding, Martin and family had to make funeral arrangements for Clary.
His premature death left Martin to care for three children without the love of her life, she said. The couple dated in high school, but after splitting up, remained friends as adults. Three years ago, they reconnected and fell in love hard, Martin said.
“Kyle was a great dad,” she said. “He was a great caregiver. He took care of all of us.”
What has been the hardest part of the last few weeks for Martin? Waking up to a recurring nightmare, she said. But Clary’s death is not a dream.
“It’s real,” she said.
Explaining Clary’s death to the couple’s 18-month-old child has been difficult, Martin said. The 12-year-old refuses to accept the situation, she said. The couple’s 8-year-old cries often. They all miss their father.
Martin’s public plea helped sharpen my eye. Until speaking with her, I hadn’t paid attention to any similar vehicles wanted in connection with the fatal hit and run. That’s the point, Martin said. There are telltell signs all around us.
A family member or a friend could be acting strangely, she said. Maybe they missed a Fourth of July event. Or work. Did a neighbor park their car in a garage when they often don’t? Did a vehicle wrapped in a tarp suddenly appear? Martin pondered these things.
“Somebody knows, they just don’t know that they know,” she said.
After stumbling across this odd-looking Nissan Maxima, I find it hard to disagree.
This story was originally published July 12, 2023 at 1:07 PM.
