NC high school football players die in ATV crash, 3 arrested after house party

Three North Carolina adults have been arrested and charged in connection with a tragic ATV accident that resulted in the deaths of two teenagers, Layne Jones and Jayden Reynaldo, both students at Rosman High School. The incident occurred in August 2024 in Rosman, a town located on the southwestern edge of North Carolina near the border of South Carolina. Jones and Reynaldo lost their lives after crashing into a tree on Old Wagon Road, with authorities pronouncing them dead at the scene, as reported by WLOS.

According to previous statements from North Carolina police, Jones and Reynaldo had been attending a party on Old Wagon Road on the night of the accident, as detailed in the Transylvania Times. The circumstances surrounding the party and the events leading up to the fatal crash have raised questions and sparked investigations that have resulted in arrests.

Ashley Marie Darity, 35, is facing two counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the incident after being indicted on Feb. 10, as confirmed by court records. Additionally, North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement recently apprehended Patricia Whitehead, 33, and Brandon Rathbone, 47, in connection with the ATV accident. Whitehead is facing two charges of aiding an underage purchase of alcohol, while Rathbone is facing one count of the same charge, as per Transylvania County court records.

Although the court documents are dated February 2023, authorities have clarified that these charges are directly related to the ATV accident that claimed the lives of Jones and Reynaldo. The allegations suggest that Whitehead and Rathbone provided alcohol to a juvenile under 21 and hosted an underage house party, with additional claims stating that they held a female juvenile up while she did a keg stand.

Darity, who was released on $20,000 bond, has refrained from commenting on the case as her attorney remains silent on the matter. Meanwhile, North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement has not responded to requests for comments from Fox News Digital.

The tragic ATV accident has not only resulted in the loss of two young lives but has also led to the legal repercussions faced by the adults involved in facilitating the events leading up to the fatal crash. The community of Rosman and the families of Layne Jones and Jayden Reynaldo continue to mourn their devastating loss as the legal proceedings unfold in the wake of this heartbreaking tragedy.