A North Carolina substitute teacher has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the ATV crash that killed two high school football players last year. Ashley Marie Darity, 34, was arrested on Feb. 13 and faces two felony counts related to the Aug. 25, 2024, accident that claimed the lives of Rosman High School students Layne Jones and Jayden Reynaldo, authorities said.

The crash occurred around 1 a.m. on Old Wagon Road in Transylvania County when the teens lost control of the ATV, hit a tree, and were ejected. They were pronounced dead at the scene, according to The Asheville Citizen-Times. The Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) division of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety stated that speed and alcohol were contributing factors.

Darity, a former substitute teacher in the Transylvania County Schools District from October 2021 to December 2023, was taken into custody by ALE special agents. Authorities have not disclosed her connection to the students or what led to her charges. She was released on a $20,000 bond. Her attorney has not responded to requests for comment.

Two others, Brandon Kaine Rathbone, 47, and Patricia Faye Whitehead, 33, were also arrested during the investigation. They were charged with aiding and abetting the possession and consumption of alcohol by a person under 21. According to the NCDPS, these charges stem from a separate incident at the same residence. A warrant alleges that in June 2023, Rathbone hosted an underage house party, purchased a keg, and helped a female juvenile perform a keg stand. Whitehead is accused of buying Twisted Tea for a minor in February 2023.

The investigation remains ongoing. Following the crash, the school district issued a statement calling the students’ deaths “an unimaginable loss.” Rosman High School also paid tribute to the athletes, writing, “Layne and Jayden have left an imprint on our hearts. We grieve together.”