Wilmington man sentenced to prison for crashing into home, killing sleeping woman

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington man was sentenced to prison Monday for a 2021 deadly crash.

24-year-old Walter Wade Ange was sentenced to a minimum of 70 months in the Department of Adult Correction, followed by 48 months of supervised probation. The judge also ordered Ange to serve two nights in jail each year on the anniversary of the victim’s death during the period of his probation.

Ange failed to stop at a stop sign while driving through the Hawthorne Commons apartment complex early in the morning on December 4, 2021. He drove his vehicle into a nearby apartment building, entering the bedroom of 48-year-old Kelley Prince and her fiancé, who were asleep in their bed.

The impact of the crash pinned Prince between her bed and the vehicle. She was initially conscious after the crash but died from her injuries at New Hanover Regional Medical Center. Her boyfriend also sustained injuries as a result of the crash.

Ange left the scene, leaving his dog behind. Investigators with the Wilmington Police Department’s Traffic Unit quickly developed Ange as a suspect, but could not locate him that day. He was arrested on December 7, 2021.

Investigators were able to determine that Ange was impaired at the time of the incident, elevating the charges to more serious motor vehicle felonies.