Grant Wooler fronts Rockhampton court for drunk drive hit-and-run crash

A drunk Queensland school boarding house supervisor and rugby mentor left a crash scene where a woman was on the ground. When police caught him, he was slurring and had bloodshot eyes.

Grant Larry Wooler, 44, leaving Rockhampton Magistrates Court on September 20, 2024, after being sentenced for a drunk driving hit-and-run crash on Denham Street in Rockhampton on July 2, 2024.

A grossly intoxicated former Aurizon worker turned school boarding supervisor and sporting mentor “could have killed a woman” when he misjudged a corner and crashed, a court heard.

Grant Larry Wooler, 44, drank 18 mid-strength beers and took double the amount of prescription medication the day of the crash from which he drove away without stopping to check on the woman or leave his details.

He also couldn’t recall the incident when police spoke to him later that day, police prosecutor Mirren Smith told Rockhampton Magistrates Court on Friday.

Magistrate Grace Kahlert said when Wooler attempted to turn left at a roundabout on the corner of Kent and Denham Streets on July 2 about 10.30pm, he misjudged it, and rear ended a parked Ford Range Rover.

“There was a woman leaning on the bonnet on the passenger side,” she said.

Ms Kahlert said when Wooler’s vehicle hit the parked Ford with such force two passenger side tyres of the parked car jumped the kerb and the woman was thrown on the ground.

“He is lucky he didn’t kill that woman leaning on her car,” the prosecutor said.

Ms Kahlert said Wooler stopped momentarily before continuing driving and police intercepted him at 11pm.

She said Wooler was disorientated, had blood shot eyes, slurring his words and unable to communicate properly.

Wooler was taken to the hospital due to injuries he sustained in the crash and when his blood-alcohol content level was tested at the hospital, it was .165.

It wasn’t the first time Wooler had a reading that high, the court heard.

Ms Kahlert said he had a similar reading in 2013.

Defence lawyer Stephanie Smith said her client, who had worked as a butcher for 15 years and then as a manager at Aurizon for 15 years until the workshops were shut down, had been at a funeral that day.

She said the funeral was for his best friend’s father, who was like a second father to him.

Ms Smith said her client now worked as a boarding supervisor and with injury recovery and fitness programs for the school’s rugby league and rugby union teams, while he studied part time to complete a teaching degree.

She said the father of three had accidentally taken two doses of his prescription medication that day.

Ms Smith said Wooler told her: “it breaks my heart and makes me sick to read what happened (that night)”.

She said after the crash, he engaged with Lives Lived Well to address his underlying issues with alcohol.

Ms Kahlert said character references supplied to the court spoke highly of Wooler, who had been involved with rugby league and rugby union a long time, and that this was out of character.

“It seems to me that this is an isolated incident,” she said.

Wooler, who had been without a driver's licence since the incident, pleaded guilty to one count each of drink driving, driving without due care and attention and being a driver involved in a crash failing to stop when practical and give particulars or see to injured person.

He was fined $1800 and disqualified from driving for 10 months.

Traffic convictions were recorded.