Three people have been arrested in connection with an ATV crash in North Carolina that killed two teenage boys. The accident occurred on August 25 in Transylvania County, when Layne Jones and Jayden Reynaldo, both high school football players, were driving a 2015 Polaris Sportsman ATV. The boys lost control of the vehicle, ran off the road, and crashed into a tree while trying to navigate a curve.
At first, authorities believed excessive speed was the cause of the crash. However, it is now believed that alcohol played a role. According to William Happoldt, a spokesperson for the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, alcohol was involved in the crash.
Ashley Marie Darity, a 34-year-old woman from Rosman, was arrested and charged with two counts of felony involuntary manslaughter. She is accused of providing alcohol to the teens before the crash. Her bail was set at $20,000, and she is scheduled to appear in court on February 24.
Initially, the North Carolina Highway Patrol said there was no alcohol involved in the accident. They had pointed to excessive speed as the cause. Darity’s attorney, Matthew Schofield, has not commented on the case.
In addition to Darity, two other people were arrested. Brandon Kaine Rathbone, 47, and Patricia Faye Whitehead, 33, both from Balsam Grove, were arrested and charged with helping minors drink alcohol. Their bail was set at $500 each. According to arrest warrants, Rathbone and Whitehead hosted an underage drinking party where they allegedly gave alcohol to a 15-year-old and encouraged the child to participate in a drinking game called a “keg stand.”
Rathbone’s offense took place on June 10, 2023, while Whitehead’s occurred on February 14, 2023. Both arrests are connected to the investigation of the crash, but more details have not been released.
The crash has deeply affected the community. Layne and Jayden were students at Rosman High School, where Superintendent Lisa Fletcher described their deaths as an “unimaginable loss.” The school community showed their support by wearing orange at a football game on August 30, honoring the boys’ memory.
