Ex-Prep School Dean To Plead Guilty In Natchez Trace Hit And Run

NASHVILLE, TN — The former prep school dean charged with hitting a cyclist on the Natchez Trace in July 2017, will plead guilty in federal court later this month.

Marshall Grant Neely III, 58, of Franklin, is charged with reckless aggravated assault, lying to a federal agent, and obstruction of justice. He’s alleged to have hit cyclist Tyler Noe of Nolensville July 8, 2017, on the scenic national parkway and then speeding away.

Neely’s attorneys filed notice of a plea change Wednesday and a hearing is set for May 21. Prosecutors and Neely’s defense team will meet ahead of time to arrange a plea agreement.

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Noe was cycling with his friend and fellow Nolensvillian Greg Goodman when the accident happened. Goodman was riding with a camera and captured the hit-and-run on video, which he then posted to Facebook and provided to National Parks Service rangers.

According to Goodman's post, a witness said they saw the same car try to hit another cyclist the week before. In the Tennessee and Mississippi portions of the 444-mile road, cyclists are permitted to ride in the vehicle lanes.

After the wreck, Goodman told The Tennessean he believes Neely intentionally hit his friend.

According to his arrest affidavit, Neely told police "that a man and woman were standing in the road and threw a bicycle at his car." The video shot by Goodman — a man — shows only Noe — also a man — and has no indication of bicycle throwing.

In an interview with The Tennessean two days after the incident, Neely said it was obvious that initial recollection wasn't entirely correct.

"When the police came and asked me what happened, I said, 'I don’t know.' There was a guy there maybe and I remember he was standing there and I said maybe he threw his bike at me," Neely told the paper. "Obviously, the video shows otherwise. I did not see the man. There were things going on all over the place. If you want, go look on my car, it’s been impounded. There’s not a scratch on my car."

The video — which Neely said looks "not so great" — shows a white pick-up truck safely pass Noe and Goodman and no oncoming traffic prior to Neely hitting Noe in what Neely told The Tennessean was a "quote-unquote soft hit."

Neely said he has received death threats and that the incident is "the biggest nightmare I have ever had in my life."

Prior to his arrest, Neely had served as the dean of students at the prestigious University School of Nashville, but was placed on a leave of absence immediately thereafter and eventually parted ways with the school.

Founded in 1915 and originally associated with Peabody Normal School prior to Peabody's merger with nearby Vanderbilt University, USN is one of Nashville's most prestigious private schools, enrolling more than 1,000 students K-12. The school regularly ranks at or near the top of the state's leaderboard for producing National Merit Scholars. It was the second school in the city to desegregate its classes, following Father Ryan High School, and the first to desegregate its athletic teams.

Photo via Williamson County Sheriff’s Department