Former UNC women's basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell cooperating with authorities after 'devastating tragedy'

Hatchell, 67, was cited for misdemeanor death by vehicle and unsafe movement violation. She was making a slow left turn in the parking lot of 6118 Farrington Road in Durham, near O2 Fitness Center, when she hit Betty Colby on Jan. 8.

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A Division of Motor Vehicles incident report states that Hatchell was driving 2 mph when her car's driver side mirror hit Colby.

Police said Colby fell backwards, struck her head on the pavement and died.

Hatchell told WRAL News, "I cannot pretend to imagine what Mrs. Colby’s family is going through. My heartfelt and deepest sympathies go out to them, and I pray that they be shown God’s grace during this difficult time. I will continue to cooperate with the Durham County authorities in every way possible and ask that the news media respect the Colby family's privacy in their time of grief."

Investigators stated impairment was not a factor in the crash.

Hatchell, a 2013 Hall of Fame inductee, is the winningest women's basketball coach in Atlantic Coast Conference history. She has a career record of 1,023-405 and a 751-325 mark at UNC with a national title in 1994.

Hatchell became the third women's coach in Division I with 1,000 career victories in 2017 and is the only coach with national championships at three levels — AIAW, NAIA and NCAA.