Grim anniversary of fatal hit-and-run in Grand Bend, Ont.

Wednesday marked 14 years since Jason Pearson was killed during a hit-and-run near Grand Bend.

“Our mind goes to where it always goes. We miss him so much,” said Jason’s father, Carl.

The 31-year-old Pearson, who grew up in Saskatchewan but was living in Waterloo at the time of his death, was walking from a beach volleyball tournament in Grand Bend to the Grand Bend Motorplex when he was hit by a passing vehicle around 5 a.m. on July 26, 2009.

“He was walking to the Motorplex where he was camping. He was walking back and was hit in the middle of the road as he was crossing to the Motorplex,” said his father.

Shortly after the incident, investigators released a description of the vehicle they think may have hit Pearson, and kept on driving.

“The best description we had at the time from the first witness on scene was that it may have been a truck and trailer combination that impacted Mr. Pearson. That truck was described as a dark coloured pick up truck pulling an enclosed construction type trailer,” said Huron County OPP Const. Craig Soldan.

An undated photo of Jason Pearson, the victim of a fatal hit-and-run near Grand Bend on July 26, 2009. (Source: Carl Pearson)

Carl said the family would dearly love to know what happened to Jason that night, although knowing won’t begin to heal the wounds his absence has left in their lives.

“There’ll be no closure, ever. What if’s and what could have been’s, we’ll never know. Any parent that’s lost a child, there’s no such thing as closure. You just really want to know what happened that night,” said Pearson’s father from their family home in Saskatchewan.

Anyone with information about this case in encouraged to contact the Huron County OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or contact Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or www.p3tips.com.

“We want to make sure this file remains active, and we’re looking for answers. So, if you have any information on this case, please contact the OPP,” said Const. Soldan, stressing this is one of only two unsolved pedestrian hit and run fatalities in Huron County.

An example of the vehicle and trailer that was potentially involved in a fatal hit-and-run that left 31-year old-Jason Pearson dead on July 26, 2009, near Grand Bend. (Source: OPP)