‘He didn’t care:’ court hears deplorable actions by impaired driver in fatal Parksville hit and run

“The moral culpability here is extremely high,” Barber said as he began outlining the disturbing facts.

He explained a highly intoxicated Grob was at the Rod & Gun Bar and Grill drinking with numerous Oceanside-area people known to him, including the victim.

Bar staff cut Grob off from buying more drinks due to his intoxication level and aggressive behaviour. He was also using cocaine on the night of the incident.

Grob departed the bar around 2:30 a.m. after an argument with a man who told him he shouldn’t be driving.

Audio from a nearby video surveillance camera then tracked Grob’s screeching wheels peeling out of the bar parking lot down Hirst Ave. toward McMillan St.

The 32-year-old Moore was on Hirst Ave. as Grob’s fast-approaching truck hit him, killing him instantly from blunt force trauma. Court heard Moore was dragged down the street by Grob’s truck, which did not stop.

The impact made a loud bang and then popping noise, Barber said.

“He never slowed down, didn’t look to see what he hit, he didn’t care.”

A trailing motorist stopped and called 911, but nothing could be done to save the unresponsive Moore.

An RCMP crash re-constructionist estimated Grob’s truck was traveling upwards of 90 kilometres per hour in the 50 kilometre per hour zone.

Lying to police

Following the hit and run, Grob drove to his passenger’s home, then to a woman’s house elsewhere in Parksville. She said in a pre-dawn phone conversation, Grob and the passenger were “freaking out because they’ve just run someone over.”

In the following days Barber said Grob, his passenger and a third man took police “on a wild goose chase” aimed at deceiving authorities and avoiding responsibility.

He said Grob directly lied to police, claiming his truck was stolen and registered to another driver.

An impassioned Barber said Grob’s extensive driving record, combined with his intoxication level, was a recipe for disaster.

“It was almost certain that something was going to happen. This is not an accident at all, there is nothing accidental about this,” Barber said.

Grob has numerous impaired driving offences on his record and continued driving as a prohibited motorist after Moore’s death.

Life sentence of grief

Emotions were high during the extended court hearing, with family members of the offender and victim in attendance, with tears ever-present.

Heart-wrenching impact statements were read out, including from the victim’s older brother Brandon Moore.

“The situation can only be compared to instantly being pushed out of a 10-storey window without having a second to react,” he wrote. “Not having time to comprehend what just happened and instantly flying into the unknown, unaware of how you got here and not sure you’re going to land.”

Brandon said he and his loved ones are serving life sentences, describing Spencer as a genuine, non-judgmental person who cared immensely for family and friends.

Spencer Moore’s infectious personality was referenced at length during impact statements read out in court on Thursday, Aug. 12. (Spencer Alexander Moore-Answers & Justice/Facebook)

Numerous witnesses came forward in September as the Oceanside RCMP investigation quickly advanced.

Crown counsel eventually approved charges against Grob and the passenger in October, 2020.

A life derailed

A pre-sentence and psychiatric report ordered for Grob put into focus how his life derailed in 2018 after separating from his wife due to his alcohol use. Grob’s drinking and drug use increased following the family unrest.

The reports suggested Grob is open to attending a residential treatment facility.

His defence counsel Jeffrey Arndt acknowledged the dishonesty during the investigation but said Grob is remorseful.

“In my opinion Ryan is not a danger to the community. He’s made some bad decisions that led to an incredibly horrible mistake,” Arndt said of Grob, who grew up in Errington.

Grob has sought help for his alcohol abuse, with Arndt noting his client has mental health issues as a result of the break-up with his wife and inability to see his children.

The Crown requested a six year jail sentence and 10 year driving prohibition, while the defence lobbied for three-and-a-half to four years in prison and a six year driving ban.

The sentencing range for impaired driving causing death typically ranges between two and 10 years in jail.

The sentencing hearing will continue with further defence submissions in the near future. Judge Whonnock will issue her punishment for Grob at a yet to be determined date.

Grob declined to comment when approached by NanaimoNewsNOW during a break in his hearing.

Travis Zackery Taylor, the passenger in the vehicle during the incident, is scheduled be sentenced on an obstruction charge in late September.

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by Ian Holmes

‘He didn’t care:’ court hears deplorable actions by impaired driver in fatal Parksville hit and run

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