An emergency response to what initially appeared to be a standard traffic collision in western Asheville took a serious turn on Thursday evening after responding officers uncovered a cache of illicit narcotics and a concealed firearm inside one of the involved automobiles. The roadside discovery resulted in significant felony charges against a passenger who was already a convicted felon.
Authorities with the Asheville Police Department initiated the investigation after being dispatched to the 200 block of Emma Road. The incident was first reported to emergency dispatchers at approximately 7:36 p.m., bringing patrol units to the scene to assess the vehicular damage and investigate the circumstances that caused the collision.
Upon arriving at the Emma Road location, law enforcement personnel encountered a chaotic scene involving two damaged vehicles. Officers immediately made contact with the driver of the first car, who had sustained noticeable front-end damage as a result of the impact.
According to the account provided by the first motorist, the collision occurred when the oncoming automobile abruptly veered out of its designated path. The driver reported that the second vehicle crossed into opposing traffic lanes, triggering an unavoidable collision between the two cars.
The victim further informed responding officers that immediately following the vehicular impact, the person operating the at-fault vehicle made the decision to abandon the wreck. Rather than remaining at the site to exchange information or check for potential injuries, the driver fled the area on foot.
Through their subsequent investigative efforts at the scene, Asheville police officers were able to identify the runaway driver as Tania Lashae Conley. Law enforcement officials determined that Conley had been operating the second automobile during the erratic maneuver that caused the crash before she abandoned the scene.
Conley now faces a series of traffic infractions and misdemeanor criminal allegations in connection with the incident. Authorities officially charged her with misdemeanor hit and run along with reckless driving and failure to maintain lane control.
In addition to the driving violations, officers discovered additional offenses linked to Conley's operation of the automobile. She was subsequently charged with unlawful possession of an open container of alcohol inside the passenger area and possession of marijuana up to half an ounce.
While the primary operator of the second vehicle attempted to evade law enforcement by running away on foot, officers found that the car was not entirely unoccupied. Police located a passenger who had remained with the disabled automobile at the Emma Road collision site.
Officers identified the male occupant inside the second vehicle as LaDarrell Antwain Mashburn. Upon verifying his identity, authorities noted that Mashburn had prior felony convictions on his record, an element that significantly altered the legal ramifications of the subsequent search.
When officers proceeded to conduct an on-scene search of the second car and its remaining occupant, they uncovered a significant supply of illegal narcotics alongside a concealed handgun. The discovery elevated the traffic accident into a major criminal narcotics and weapons enforcement case.
A precise inventory of the contraband seized from Mashburn revealed multiple forms of controlled substances. Police confiscated 6.82 grams of fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid, alongside 3.28 grams of crack cocaine.
Beyond the Schedule II controlled substances, law enforcement officers located additional illicit items inside the car. The search yielded a loaded 9mm handgun, a small quantity of marijuana measuring up to half an ounce, and various items of drug paraphernalia associated with narcotics use and distribution.
Because Mashburn was already legally categorized as a convicted felon, his alleged possession of the 9mm handgun constituted a direct violation of state statutes prohibiting felons from owning or handling firearms. Furthermore, the positioning of the gun led to an additional charge for carrying a concealed weapon.
In total, the Asheville Police Department leveled seven criminal counts against Mashburn. The primary allegations include two separate counts of trafficking in fentanyl, possession of controlled substances with the intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver, and possession of a Schedule II controlled substance.
The formal charging sheet was rounded out with charges for possession of a firearm by a felon, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of marijuana up to half an ounce, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Following the on-scene investigation and processing, law enforcement officers transported Mashburn to the Buncombe County Detention Facility for formal booking. Judicial officials ordered that the defendant be held at the detention center without bond as the case proceeds through the court system.
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