Mourning The Passing of a Classmate

On October 7, the first graduating class of Centennial High School lost a class member to a senseless accident that should have never happened.

On that afternoon, Robert Grant was driving home from work, when he was hit by Paul Sainz; Sainz then attempted to flee the scene before being tackled and subdued by Good Samaritans who witnessed the accident.

This past Wednesday, that drunk driver took a plea deal and received a sentence of six years and four months; not enough time for a family and community who lost a young man far too soon.

He was such an integral member of the CHS football team; I remember seeing him play many games while I sat beside my dad on the bleachers, cheering the Hawks on to one victory after another. Every game, he would say “Grant’s fast; one of the fastest players I‘ve ever seen on a field.”

Our class, the class of 1996, was small and close-knit due to the fact that we were the first to do everything, and we did it together. Losing one of them hurts as much as losing a family member. If nothing else, let this serve as a reminder that drunk driving accidents can happen any time of day; that we as a community need to be aware of the people around us and that if we even think someone is buzzed or tipsy, we need to step in an prevent a horrible accident like this from happening ever again.