San Jose man convicted of murder after 2018 hit and run left young man stuck in windshield

CONTACT:
Matt Braker
Supervising Deputy District Attorney
Homicide Unit
(408) 792-2531

San Jose man convicted of murder after 2018 hit and run left young man stuck in windshield

A jury convicted a San Jose man of murder this week, almost six years after he mowed down a Santa Clara Law student walking in a crosswalk and continued to drive up the roadway with the man hanging half in and out of his windshield.

Troy Moulton, then 56, swerved his car to dislodge the still-living victim. When that didn’t work, Moulton pulled over into a dark side street and dumped the 24-year-old on the sidewalk.

Moulton, who was also convicted by a jury of gross vehicular manslaughter and driving without a license, will be sentenced at 9 a.m. on April 5, 2024, in Department 30 at the Hall of Justice in San Jose. He faces life in prison.

District Attorney Jeff Rosen had spoken of the Moulton case on National TV to illustrate the unjust amount of time that many serious cases are taking to get to trial.

“Finally, after six years, this young man’s long-suffering family has some closure,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. “Finally, this community sees some justice. And finally, this defendant will see jail time for his senseless and heartless actions.”

On February 23, 2018, at approximately 11 p.m., Moulton drove his 1997 Toyota Camry at approximately 50 miles per hour in a residential area in San Jose posted for 30 miles, ran a stop sign, and struck 24-year-old Santa Clara University law student Barrett Grabow who was walking in the opposite crosswalk at the intersection of Park Avenue and Newhall Street.  After hitting Mr. Grabow, Moulton did not stop or slow his vehicle, even though the impact propelled the victim through the windshield of his car.  Instead, Moulton began swerving his vehicle back and forth across the roadway to dislodge the victim, who was still alive.  When this was unsuccessful, Mr. Moulton made a high-speed U-turn over a curb and drove into a narrow side street, parked along a curb, pulled Mr. Grabow out through the car, and dumped him onto the sidewalk – all caught on a neighbor’s home security video.  Moulton then drove away from the area through the original intersection without directing anyone to Mr. Grabow’s location, even though witnesses were out at the original intersection trying to locate the victim.  Moulton returned home and hid the vehicle behind a funeral home the next day. He turned himself into police the following day.

Mr. Grabow died three days later.

The DA praised several witnesses who called police and tried to find the victim right after the accident and another who called 911 when he saw the car with a smashed windshield.

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