WYOMING COUNTY, W.V. — A driver accused of fleeing a traffic stop on Route 97 allegedly threw a bag of suspected fentanyl from her SUV before stopping on Rocky Ridge Road, according to a criminal complaint.
A deputy attempted to stop the SUV after noticing its registration had expired. The driver accelerated and turned onto Rocky Ridge Road, continuing after the deputy activated emergency lights and a siren, the complaint states.
The deputy reported seeing a black bag thrown from the passenger-side window. After the SUV stopped, the deputy arrested the driver, identified as Caritta Lane, and recovered the bag. It contained a clear baggie of white powder that Lane allegedly identified as fentanyl. She also allegedly admitted throwing the bag.
Lane told the deputy she fled because her sandal became stuck beneath the gas pedal and she thought she was pressing the brake, according to the complaint.
A license check showed Lane’s driving privileges were suspended and that she had two prior driving-while-suspended convictions. The suspected fentanyl will be sent to the West Virginia State Police forensic laboratory for testing.
The available complaint excerpt does not list the charges filed.