Marsh Oaks man who reported own hit-and-run sentenced

A man who called in to report his own hit-and-run in 2015 is going to prison today after pleading guilty to his charges.

Aaron Blake Williams, 24, hit four pedestrians in Marsh Oaks, including two New Hanover high school coaches, and kept driving.

New Hanover High lacrosse coach Keith Hatcher, former Head Football Coach Frank Meehan, his wife Maureen, and friend Jeffrey West were all found unconscious.

Sergeant Hugh Cannady said that Williams initially tried to mislead law enforcement by portraying himself as a concerned citizen.

“Mr. Williams called in the collision and basically represented himself as a Good Samaritan, or the first person to try to render aid, and it was later determined that he was actually the driver,” Cannady said.

But Williams’ attorney, Ryan Ames, said that Williams’ actions were not all bad.

“The fact is that Blake did go back to the scene. He did render aid. He did perform CPR, and he is the one that notified law enforcement in the first place,” Ames said.

The judge sentenced Williams to 10 months in prison and 5 years of probation.

Ames says that the crime is something his client will live with forever.

“He’s shown remorse for what happened, and I think he showed it today,” Ames said. “I think his parents showed it today. The fact that he came in to plead guilty and and accept responsibility for it.”

Williams now lives with his parents in Georgia, where he moved after the crash.

The judge says Williams can be transferred to a Georgia prison, if they will have him.