Parents of boy killed in crash call for justice

Louise and Clint Slater want justice for their son, Keaton, who was killed in a hit and run in June

The parents of a 12-year-old boy who was killed in a hit-and-run have said they need to get justice, and have started a petition to extradite a suspect believed to be in Latvia.

Louise and Clint Slater's son, Keaton, died after being hit by a black BMW in Coventry while on his way home from school on 14 June.

Dolars Aleksanders, 21, is wanted by police on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

The West Midlands force said it was pursuing lines of inquiry, but Mrs Slater said "we feel we're not getting anywhere", while her husband added he felt like his son's death had been "forgotten about by police".

Keaton was killed while on his way home from school

Speaking to the BBC, Mrs Slater said the police were telling her and her husband that they were "not allowed" to tell them anything but they knew where Mr Aleksanders was.

"It's [been] three months and there's nothing. It just proves there's no justice, but we need to get justice," Mrs Slater explained.

Mr Slater said of the suspect and his surmised location: "Moving away and hiding as long as he has just don't seem right."

The bereaved father said his son had been hit by a car that did not stop and was travelling "excessively over the speed limit".

West Midlands Police said it was actively pursuing strong lines of inquiry about the whereabouts of Mr Aleksanders.

"Our focus remains on getting justice for Keaton and his family as soon as we possibly can," a spokesperson added.

Dolars Aleksanders is wanted by police in connection with the hit and run that killed Keaton

The couple launched a petition last month calling for the government to intervene in the case and extradite Mr Aleksanders from his suspected location of Latvia.

So far, the petition has received more than 58,000 signatures.

Mrs Slater said of her son: "I know if he'd survived that incident and he'd broke his leg, he'd be saying 'come on Mom we've got to find who did this, they can't do it to another child, they can't do it to one of my mates'."

She said whenever they mourned their son or felt sad, they soon became angry.

The couple said they believed Mr Aleksanders' parents lived in Coventry and they wanted them to hear about their heartbreak.

Tributes to Keaton in the family's garden, which has been dubbed Keaton's Corner

Keaton's parents described their son as someone who loved football and was a devoted fan of Coventry City.

"He just lived in his football kit. All the photos look like they're taken from one day because he always had that kit on," Mrs Slater said.

She said Keaton had had a connection with his father through football, calling him his dad's "little buddy", with Mr Slater adding: "He was my best mate."

On the day he died, Mrs Slater said Keaton had not wanted to go to school because of a stomach bug.

"I said 'you've got to go to keep your attendance up, and you haven't got long until you finish now' - and I just feel so guilty for doing that," she said.

"I know if he'd survived that incident he'd be saying 'come on Mom we've got to find who did this'," Mrs Slater said

Mr and Mrs Slater explained that things were still raw after the death of their son and they could still hear his voice.

Mrs Slater said that on the night Keaton died, she went to the memorial site and "just sat there crying with his teddy".

While Mr Slater had wanted to move away in the aftermath of their son's death, Mrs Slater said: "I can't now, because I've had 12 years in this house with [Keaton]. I can't ever move out."

She also said she had become angry seeing speeding drivers in the area and she had wanted to jump in front of them to tell them of the consequences.

"I don't understand why it's still 30mph [there]," she said.

Both Mr and Mrs Slater said they were surprised by how supportive the community in Coventry had been.

"We've had so much love and support from colleges, schools, and friends. It's been unreal," Mrs Slater told the BBC.

Mr Slater added: "It's like I've got someone else on my shoulders helping me through it."