Former UNCW assistant volleyball coach charged in deadly hit-and-run

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington man is facing a felony charge after allegedly leaving the scene of a deadly crash on Market Street early Friday morning.

According to the arrest warrant, Jeffrey Yasalonis is charged in the death of Melanie Lynn Degrazio.

The crash happened shortly before 12:30 a.m. on July 4th in the 4100 block of Market Street. When Wilmington Police officers arrived, they found Degrazio, 43, dead at the scene.

At the time of the initial news release on Friday, police said the driver involved was identified and they were still investigating.

An article on the UNCW Athletics website said Yasalonis was hired in 2023 as assistant coach for the UNCW women’s volleyball team. He also served as interim head coach in the fall of 2024, but he is no longer listed as a current member of the coaching staff.

According to online records, Yasalonis was arrested Sunday afternoon at 679 Wagoner Drive, which is the address for Trask Coliseum. He is out of jail on a $35,000 bond. He appeared in court Monday afternoon with his lawyer, wife, mother, and mother-in-law.

Yasalonis was arrested by UNCW police nearly an hour later after he returned to the scene saying he thought he struck a deer. 

Prosecutors claim he admitted to having two beers prior to the collision. 

In a statement, UNCW said Yasalonis was not an employee at the time of the incident.

“His employment with the university concluded on 12/17/2024.  As this is an active legal matter, we will not comment further in accordance with our policies and respect for the privacy of those involved,” the statement continued.