Parole granted for man who killed three TRU students drunk driving
The man who killed three international students with his car in Kamloops was granted parole less than a year into his three-year jail sentence.
Reid McKnight, 33, was convicted and sentenced to prison two years after he struck and killed three Thompson Rivers University students on Battle Street.
As of Nov. 7, he's been granted day parole. He will be granted full parole as soon as he's eligible and will live at a halfway house for five months, according to a Parole Board of Canada decision.
"Having weighed and considered the relevant factors in your case the Board concludes that you will not present an undue risk to society if released on either day or full parole. The Board also finds that your release will contribute to the protection of society by facilitating your reintegration into society as a law–abiding citizen," the decision reads.
The board found that he has a low risk of reoffending and abided by his bail conditions before his sentence, so he was granted day parole after 11 months in a federal penitentiary.
The Nov. 3, 2019, collision killed Feyisola Adebowale, Daniel Okocha and Kelvin Oluwatosin. A fourth man survived the collision.
McKnight sped his Ford Ranger up to 110 km/h on Battle Street after a night of drinking where he T-boned the four TRU students on First Avenue.
After the crash, McKnight fled the scene. He told the parole board he was "too cowardly" to face the consequences.
He's planning to pursue work as a plumber upon his release, which he began studying while incarcerated, according to the decision. The board, however, believes he still needs more "insight" into his behaviour.
"The harm you caused their families and friends is immeasurable. The Board finds your insight into the thinking and underlying beliefs that allowed you to act in such a reckless manner is limited but has improved slightly during your sentence even without the benefit of programming," the decision reads.
He'll abide by several conditions while on parole, including not drinking alcohol and not driving. He will also follow a treatment plan from his parole officer and avoid any contact with the survivor or the victims' families.
McKnight was a member of the Canadian military and was celebrating a career milestone that night, according to the decision.
He was ejected from the military after his guilty plea on Dec. 3, 2021.
Although he was arrested on the night of the collision, he was released that day and placed on bail. It took roughly a year for the Crown to lay charges for dangerous driving causing death and failure to remain on the scene.
His three-year sentence was accepted on a joint submission between prosecutors and his defence, which received scathing remarks from the former Kamloops RCMP superintendent.
"I'm not pleased, and neither are the people who worked on it," former Supt. Syd Lecky said last December. "And I'm certainly sure the families aren't."
Although not stated in the parole board decision, he's expected to be granted his full parole on Dec. 3, which is one-third of his sentence.
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