Kentucky
Kentucky father writes book about son’s road to recovery following serious crash
BATH COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) – In 2015, Aaron Williams was on his way to a homecoming dance in Bath County when he got into a crash that would change his life forever.
“His back tire fell off, and he overcorrected, and down the hill, he went and hit a tree. The car burst into flames,” said Aaron’s father, Chris Williams.
Chris Williams describes the night his son Aaron crashed on his way to his homecoming dance. The crash left him critically injured. Williams says his son died that night, taking his last breath before the ambulance was able to arrive on the scene.
“They said, This boy is gone. But the ambulance came down the road about the time he took his last breath and stopped breathing and startled him, and he started breathing again. Now that set a road that where he is today, that that next breath,” said Williams.
Nearly nine years later, Williams still finds it difficult to recall the conversation with his son’s doctor.
“He said, Mr Williams, your son won’t live through the night,” said Williams.
Yet, Aaron did live through the night. He’d go on to spend 43 days in a coma. Williams says hundreds of people came to the hospital to pray for his son. Friends, family, and strangers alike. One night at UK Hospital, he saw a large group passing around candles.
“I said, who you having prayer for? And they said, Well, there’s a boy named Aaron Williams who was in a car wreck, and we’re going to pray for him. I said, Can I join you? I didn’t tell them,” said Williams.
It’s those prayers that Williams credits for his son’s recovery. Countless stories like this are detailed in his book, “From Death to Life: The Aaron Williams Story.”
“I didn’t know when I was writing; I didn’t realize what it would do. I was just telling my story, but telling this story has helped people,” said Williams.
Williams has received letters and calls from people with stories similar to Aaron’s, asking for prayers and thanking him for giving them hope.
“I wrote it at the cost of my son, but what this book details gives people hope. When you’re told there is no hope,” said Williams.
Today, Williams says you’d never know what his son had been through by looking at him. He’s learned to walk again, enjoys playing basketball, and recently made the Dean’s List at Morehead. While Aaron has changed his major a few times, his current plan is to become a lawyer.
The book, “From Life to Death: The Aaron Williams Story,” is available now. To purchase, click here.
Copyright 2024 WKYT. All rights reserved.
Power forward has been one of the positions that Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats have to fill with Andrija Jelavic and Mo Dioubate gone. The two players that Pope has had on campus at the power forward position are Syracuse’s Donnie Freeman and Colorado’s Sebastian Rancik. Both are really good players, but Freeman is better by a wide margin.
It has felt that entire time that Kentucky wanted Rancik as the backup to Freeman or a backup plan if they weren’t able to land Freeman. Well, Rancik just picked Florida State, so perhaps this is a sign that the Wildcats will land Freeman.
Big Blue Nation was torn on Rancik, but I do believe he would have been a really solid backup power forward. I personally didn’t want him to be the starting four for this team. It is clear that he wanted to go somewhere where he could be the guy at the four, so he will be heading to the ACC to play for FSU.
Now that Kentucky has missed on Rancik, it is very important that the Wildcats land Freeman soon. The problem with waiting on some of these players is the fact that the portal isn’t slowing down. If Pope targets two power forwards and misses on both of them, most of the good fours in the portal will be gone.
There will be some panic in Lexington if the Wildcats are not able to land Freeman, but I do believe the Wildcats are in a good spot to land the elite power forward. From the beginning, Freeman has been my top player for Kentucky in the portal, as he, plus Malachi Moreno, will give the Wildcats an elite frontcourt.
If Pope is able to land Freeman and Tyran Stokes to pair with Zoom Diallo, Alex Wilkins, Moreno, and Kam Williams, this could be the start of a really good team in Lexington. Hopefully, an announcement for where Freeman will transfer comes soon, and hopefully, this will be to play for Pope at Kentucky.
Fans of rival teams will say Pope “whiffed” on Rancik, but if this whiff was because the Wildcats are set to land Freeman soon, then it was more than worth it for Kentucky. If the Wildcats are able to land Freeman, it will officially be time for Big Blue Nation to start getting excited about the 2026-27 season. I expect a decision from Freeman to come within the next day or two.
Rancik would have been a solid backup four in Lexington but Freeman has been the guy from the beggining for this staff so if Kentucky lands him all is well. If the staff misses on Freeman not landing Rancik will look bad.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
Kentucky
Kentucky is poised to land either Donnie Freeman or Sebastian Rancik this weekend, per report
Jones posted on Twitter that “Kentucky will have (absent a major change) either Freeman or Rancik by tomorrow,” while also noting the Wildcats still need to add another shooter and another big to round out the roster.
One of the top targets is Donnie Freeman, a 6-foot-9, 205-pound sophomore forward transferring from Syracuse. Freeman arrived in Lexington on Tuesday night and began his visit on Wednesday before leaving without a commitment. While there was concern he could land at UConn, that visit has since been canceled, leaving Kentucky and St. John’s as the top teams.
Freeman averaged 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game last season, while adding nearly a block and a steal per contest. He shot 47.4% from the field but 30.2% from 3-point range across 23 games.
The other option is Sebastian Rancik, a 6-foot-11, 220-pound sophomore forward transferring from Colorado. Rancik visited Kentucky starting Wednesday through Thursday and brings a versatile skill set, averaging 12.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game while shooting 33.1% from 3.
Either Freeman or Rancik would provide a significant boost at the power forward position for head coach Mark Pope. Kentucky has already added guards Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins in the portal.
Kentucky football coach Will Stein reflects on new position
Will Stein was officially introduced to fans and media as the head coach for the Kentucky Wildcats, replacing Mark Stoops.
LEXINGTON — Kentucky football had its first spring game under new coach Will Stein at Kroger Field on Saturday.
The offense, in blue jerseys, had its moments. So too the defense, donning white uniforms.
Ultimately, the blue squad earned a 23-18 victory in a game called just after noon because of inclement weather.
Stein admitted he “got emotional” as he charged onto the field prior to kickoff.
“I know it wasn’t a real game, but when I ran on the field, I definitely — man, I felt it,” he said. “It was like a wave running over me. And very, very, just cool.”
While it doesn’t count in the standings, Stein walked away pleased.
“I think we got a lot of really good work,” he said. “That’s the goal of spring is to improve with fundamentals and technique, learn how to practice, learn what winning edges that we need throughout spring to go into summer and fall and prepare the team for play. And we came out of the scrimmage clean. There (were) no injuries, which to me, that’s the biggest win of the day. I could (not) care less about the score.
“If we come out clean, that’s good. The Wildcats won.”
New starting QB Kenny Minchey looked about as expected, with sharp passes evened out by moments of inconsistency. Martels Carter Jr., a defensive back who is lining up at running back this spring, scored a touchdown and had several nice runs.
And the defense forced multiple three-and-outs and also picked off one Minchey pass on a two-point conversion.
This story will be updated.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
-
Detroit, MI47 minutes agoGame 21: Tigers at Red Sox, Garrett Crochet battles both Detroit and the weather
-
San Francisco, CA59 minutes agoWhy do gray whales keep dying in San Francisco’s waters?
-
Dallas, TX1 hour agoDallas Mavericks Owners Might Be Making Big Mistake in Search for New GM
-
Miami, FL1 hour agoDefense dominates, Mensah flashes in Miami’s spring game – The Miami Hurricane
-
Boston, MA1 hour ago
A crowd scientist is helping the Boston Marathon manage a growing field of 30,000-plus runners
-
Denver, CO1 hour agoDenver Nuggets Altitude broadcasts now being offered in Spanish for first time ever
-
Seattle, WA1 hour agoNeed to shred? Free drive-up/ride-up shredding Wednesday at Village Green West Seattle
-
San Diego, CA2 hours agoGame 21: San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Angels
