'Wicked Tuna' star tragically dies just months after having a baby

On December 15, "Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks" star William "Willbilly” Joseph Hathaway died after being involved in a car accident in Salisbury. The incident occurred shortly after 4 p.m.

WBOC16 reported that the star spoke to his wife on the phone after the accident and said he was fine but when EMS arrived he wasn’t breathing. Hathaway had recently welcomed a baby.

According to Maryland State Police, William "Willbilly” Joseph Hathaway was 36-years-old at the time of his death. On Saturday afternoon, the MSP Salisbury Barrack received a call from a concerned citizen who passed a Toyota truck in a ditch on Old Ocean City Road.

A number of 911 calls about the same incident were received after the initial one. Hathaway was identified as the driver of the car.

For more on this story go to our Twitter account @amomama_usa. Investigators alleged that the television star had called his wife, Mary Malone Hathaway and told her he was fine.

It’s believed that he informed her that someone had turned in front of him causing him to swerve into a ditch. Mary also allegedly heard him tell some concerned citizens that stopped to check on him that he was fine.

However, by the time EMS and troopers arrived, Hathaway wasn’t breathing and he was slumped over the center console. They immediately transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

Investigators revealed that the vehicle has sustained minimal damage and the driver’s airbag wasn’t deployed. Police shared that the crash wasn’t consistent with the driver suffering deadly injuries.

Hathaway was a crew member of the Ocean City-based "Foolish Pleasures" He was known for his appearance with his fellow crew members on the National Geographic Channel's reality show "Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks."

Members of the Ocean City fishing community set up a Facebook fundraising page to assist Hathaway's wife and newborn daughter, Molly Jean Hathaway. The page also gave a description of Hathaway’s character.

They said:

"He was an exceptional human being whose passion was the sea. He always brightened the day of anyone he met. His wife and new born baby girl he was most proud of. Due to his untimely death we are asking for donations to help them stay on their feet while trying to survive this tragedy."

Hathaway's co-star, Nicholas "Duffy" Fudge, also died “unexpectedly” in July this year at the age of 28.