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.
Ohio tornado warnings: what residents should know
Severe storms June 17 in Ohio: know tornado watch vs. warning, safety steps, shelters and alerts.
A tornado was confirmed to have ripped through the Florence area during the overnight storms June 18.
The National Weather Service in Wilmington released a statement June 20 saying a tornado traveled eastward 6.2 miles across the Northern Kentucky city, 10 miles south of Cincinnati. It had estimated peak winds of 100 mph, which classifies it as an EF1 “moderate” tornado on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
The tornado’s path goes mostly through residential areas, and the first evidence was found on Landings Way where several trees were snapped at their trunks, the weather service reported.
The tornado progressed east, crossing Interstate 71/75 and then seemingly dissipating on Tallwood Circle where multiple large branches were downed, the final known instance of damage.
Along the way, the tornado uprooted multiple trees and snapped branches, damaged several buildings and businesses, and snapped a large power pole near the intersection of U.S. 42 and Dream Street, according to the weather service.
How many tornadoes have been confirmed in Greater Cincinnati, beyond?
As of 1 p.m. June 20, the weather service has confirmed that apart from the one in Florence, two other tornadoes touched down in Greater Cincinnati on June 18:
- An EF2 “significant” tornado that traveled about 9 miles from Dearborn County, Indiana, to Boone County, Kentucky.
- An EF2 “significant” tornado that traveled just over 5 miles from Franklin County, Indiana, to Butler County, Ohio.
A few other tornadoes have been confirmed outside the Greater Cincinnati region, including an EF2 that traveled 23.6 miles from Scott County, Indiana, to Trimble County, Kentucky; an EF2 that traveled 9 miles across Pike County, Ohio; and one in Grant County, Kentucky, just north of Williamstown.
The weather service said details on the Grant County tornado will be released later on June 20.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville celebrated Juneteenth with music, dancing and a parade highlighting Black culture, history and unity.
The Kentucky Black Festival’s Juneteenth Unity Parade brought hundreds of people to west Louisville, with marching bands, dancers, community organizations and families joining together to honor the meaning behind the holiday.
“Seeing the families having a good time seeing everyone dancing, with everything that’s happening in this city and happening in the world, a moment to just take a breath and smile and relax your shoulders is what this is all about,” said Walter Murrah, executive director of the Kentucky Black Foundation.
Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued.
For organizers, the celebration is about more than a parade. It’s about recognizing the history that paved the way for future generations.
“Celebrating Juneteenth is more than just dancing and singing. It’s also reaching back and looking at the giants that paved the way for us, but also taking a moment to just celebrate our blackness because I think oftentimes it’s looked down upon, left out, overlooked, and those kind of things,” Murrah said. “And so being Black is beautiful. Being Black is, you know, it should be celebrated, and that’s what Juneteenth is about, is, you know, marrying the history but also looking ahead to what’s in the future.”
Attendees said the event created a space to celebrate their heritage and come together.
“We’re not celebrated enough, so with this being Juneteenth for freedom and unity to come together, this is the day for us to do that,” said Tara Britt.
Community members also emphasized the importance of teaching younger generations about the holiday and its history.
“It’s very important because if we don’t tell them, they won’t know. We have to get educated to educate them because it’s not in the schools right now,” said Shannon Gilbert. “So we get all the knowledge and give it back to them and make sure they’re educated because they’re the future.”
Organizers said the goal is to make sure Juneteenth is not only remembered but experienced through community celebrations like the parade.
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, but communities across the country have recognized and celebrated the day for decades.
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