The driver who hit a cyclist on the Natchez Trace and fled the scene last year pled guilty to multiple charges on Monday.

Marshall Neely III was behind the wheel of his black Volvo in July 2017 when he struck cyclist Tyler Noe from behind and sped away. Noe, 24, was two hours into his first bike ride since childhood when he heard a honk, then an engine revving. Moments later, Neely slammed into him, knocking him down hard on the blacktop.

That instant felt like an eternity, Noe . “I closed my eyes,” he said. “I didn’t know if I’d ever open them again.”

Noe’s riding partner, Greg Goodman, was wearing a GoPro at the time and captured the hit-and-run, as well as Neely’s vehicle and license plate, on video. The footage quickly spread on social media, where Neely’s own son was able to identify his “abusive, alcoholic” father’s vehicle thanks to stickers on the back.

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Police said the elder Neely was passed out on the floor of his home when they arrived. They also found evidence that he had attempted to remove his car’s identifying stickers after the crash. “It was going to identify me—you would have done the same thing,” Neely reportedly told investigators.



After his arrest, Neely frequently changed his account of what happened. At first he said that a man and woman had thrown the bicycle at his car. Then, in a television interview, he claimed that Noe had actually ridden into him, but that he hadn’t realized it until after he got home.

The 444-mile Natchez Trace is considered one of the nation’s safest roads for cycling, thanks to a relatively slow speed limit and long stretches of clear sight lines. A nearby witness said Noe was “riding in a straight line about three feet to the right of the center line. The Volvo had plenty of room to safely pass, but instead, he hit him. There was no way [Noe] swerved or ran into the car.”

Neely pled guilty to reckless aggravated assault, lying to a federal agent, and obstruction of justice. According to the details of his plea agreement, he will serve up to 10 months in jail, followed by three years of supervised release, and pay Noe $1,200 in restitution.

Neely’s sentencing is scheduled for August 17. It’s believed that Noe—who suffered multiple injuries from the crash, including road rash and severe bruising to his kidneys and legs—is still pursuing a civil case against him.

Robert Annis After spending nearly a decade as a reporter for The Indianapolis Star, Robert Annis finally broke free of the shackles of gainful employment and now freelances full time, specializing in cycling and outdoor-travel journalism. Over the years, Robert's byline has appeared in numerous publications and websites, including Outside, National Geographic Traveler, Afar, Bicycling, Men's Journal, Popular Mechanics, Lonely Planet, the Chicago Tribune, and Adventure.com

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