A routine emergency response to a motor vehicle collision in west Asheville escalated into a major criminal investigation late last week after law enforcement personnel uncovered illicit narcotics and an illegal weapon inside one of the involved automobiles, resulting in serious felony drug trafficking allegations.
The incident unfolded during the evening hours of Thursday when patrol officers with the Asheville Police Department were dispatched to the 200 block of Emma Road following emergency reports regarding a multi-vehicle crash. Responding units arrived in the area shortly after the initial collision report was logged at approximately 7:36 p.m.
Upon reaching the scene of the crash, officers made contact with the driver of an automobile that exhibited substantial front-end damage. The motorist informed law enforcement personnel that an oncoming vehicle had abruptly swerved across the roadway and crossed directly into their travel lane, causing an unavoidable collision between the two cars.
According to the initial account provided by the victim driver, the individual operating the opposing vehicle immediately vacated the driver's seat in the immediate aftermath of the impact. Rather than remaining at the site to render aid or exchange necessary insurance and registration details, the driver fled the area on foot.
Officers securing the crash perimeter quickly located the second automobile remaining at the scene and initiated an on-site inquiry. Inside the disabled vehicle, police encountered an individual identified as LaDarrell Antwain Mashburn, who was determined to be a passenger rather than the person operating the automobile at the time of the crash.
Subsequent investigative steps conducted by responding officers allowed authorities to determine the identity of the motorist who had fled the roadway on foot. Police officially identified the absconding driver as Tania Lashae Conley, establishing that she had been behind the wheel of the second vehicle prior to abandoning it at the scene.
Law enforcement officials subsequently levied multiple misdemeanor and traffic-related offenses against Conley in connection with her actions during and immediately following the incident. Her charges encompass misdemeanor hit and run, reckless driving, and failure to maintain lane control on the roadway.
In addition to the moving violations and fleeing the scene of the accident, Conley faces further charges including possession of an open container of alcohol within the passenger area of a motor vehicle as well as possession of marijuana in an amount up to half an ounce.
While evaluating the scene and processing the vehicles involved in the wreck, law enforcement officers conducted a comprehensive search of the second car. That inspection quickly shifted the nature of the inquiry from a routine hit-and-run investigation into a significant criminal narcotics and weapons seizure.
During the course of the vehicle search, officers discovered that Mashburn was in possession of a substantial quantity of illicit substances along with a handgun. A complete inventory of the seized evidence revealed 6.82 grams of fentanyl, 3.28 grams of crack cocaine, a 9mm firearm, marijuana weighing up to half an ounce, and various pieces of drug paraphernalia.
The substantial quantity of fentanyl recovered from the passenger prompted severe legal repercussions. Mashburn was formally charged with two separate counts of trafficking fentanyl, reflecting the significant volume of the dangerous synthetic opioid confiscated by responding officers during the search.
Authorities also charged Mashburn with possession with the intent to manufacture, sell, and deliver controlled substances, alongside an additional charge for possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, stemming from the discovery of the crack cocaine and fentanyl cache found in his possession.
Because Mashburn had previously been convicted of a felony offense, his possession of the 9mm handgun resulted in severe weapons violations. Law enforcement formally charged him with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon as well as carrying a concealed weapon.
The extensive array of charges filed against Mashburn was further rounded out by minor drug offenses, specifically misdemeanor possession of marijuana up to half an ounce and possession of illicit drug paraphernalia discovered by officers during the search of the vehicle.
Following his arrest on Emma Road, Mashburn was transported to the Buncombe County Detention Facility for formal booking and processing. In light of the severe trafficking allegations and his status as a previously convicted felon, Mashburn was ordered held in custody without bond.
The case underscores how an initial traffic collision call and hit-and-run response rapidly transitioned into a major local law enforcement operation, removing illegal firearms and dangerous street-level narcotics from circulation in the Asheville community.
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