FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — A deadly hit-and-run on the West Virginia Turnpike resulted in a guilty plea Friday in Fayette County Circuit Court.
Fayette County Prosecutor Anthony Ciliberti said Anthony Hay, of Wayne County, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated vehicular homicide, a felony.
Hay was driving a box truck on the Turnpike on Oct. 3, 2025, when he drifted off the highway and struck Jack Walter, of Middlesex, North Carolina. Walter was off the road after his vehicle had broken down.
Hay didn’t stop after the collision.
State police troopers used Turnpike cameras to identify the truck and the company Hay drove for. Troopers later learned the truck was getting body work after Hay reported hitting a deer.
A Friday news release from Ciliberti said, “Law enforcement confirmed the suspect vehicle was equipped with an on-board dash camera and the trucking company provided a copy of the recorded video from the dash camera for October 3, 2025. The video showed that the truck being operated by Hay drifted from the right lane onto the shoulder of the roadway striking Mr. Walter and his vehicle. The video leading up to the collision showed that Hay repeatedly drifted from the right lane over onto to the shoulder of the roadway, behavior indicative of distracted driving.”
Hay faces 1 to 5 years in prison at his Oct. 22 sentencing.