CANDLER, N.C. (828newsNOW) — A Winston-Salem man is facing multiple felony charges after a traffic stop on Interstate 40 led to a major fentanyl seizure and a police chase that ended in Buncombe County, according to the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office.
Detectives with the Haywood County Crime Suppression Unit stopped a vehicle Wednesday night near the Haywood-Buncombe County line. Deputies said the driver, identified as Devan Michael, 36, briefly stopped before a female passenger exited the car.
Michael then fled east into Buncombe County, where authorities said he crashed into the porch of a home on Starnes Cove Road in Candler. No injuries were reported.
HIGH-SPEED CHASE ENDS AFTER VEHICLE SLAMS INTO ASHEVILLE HOME
Deputies recovered 179.3 grams of suspected fentanyl during the stop. Michael was charged with two counts of trafficking fentanyl, possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver a Schedule III substance and felony fleeing to elude arrest.
He is being held at the Haywood County Detention Center under a $1 million bond and is also on federal probation, according to the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office credited assistance from the Asheville Police Department, Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Enka-Candler Fire Department and Buncombe County Fire Marshal’s Office.
Officials said the seizure prevented “dangerous drugs from reaching our community” and reaffirmed the county’s commitment to fighting drug trafficking.