Former UNC women's basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell pleads guilty in fatal accident

Former North Carolina women's basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell on Tuesday pleaded guilty to misdemeanor death by vehicle in connection with the death in January of 89-year-old Betty Colby.

Posted 4:11 p.m. Sep 9, 2020 — Updated 6:38 p.m. Sep 9, 2020

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Former North Carolina women's basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell on Tuesday pleaded guilty to misdemeanor death by vehicle in connection with the death in January of 89-year-old Betty Colby.

She was sentenced to six months probation, 50 hours of community service and a fine.

Hatchell was making a slow left turn in the parking lot of 6118 Farrington Road in Durham, near O2 Fitness Center, when she hit Colby on Jan. 8.

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.

Shortly after the accident, 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."

Hatchell, who coached at UNC for 33 seasons, resigned last spring after an investigation by a Charlotte law firm found "widespread support for" allegations by players that she made racially insensitive comments and pressured them to play through injury.

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.

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