What started as a late-night speeding stop on I‑40 turned into a brief chase, a crash near Hillsborough and, ultimately, a stack of drug and traffic charges for a 36-year-old driver, according to the Orange County Sheriff. Deputies say the man ditched his car after the wreck and tried to run, but a quick search ended with him in handcuffs. He remains in custody.
How Deputies Say The Stop Unfolded
A deputy initiated a traffic stop minutes before midnight near mile marker 277 on I‑40 westbound after clocking a vehicle at 91 mph in a 65‑mph zone, according to a press release via the Orange County Sheriff's Office - North Carolina. Investigators say the driver did not follow instructions to move to the breakdown lane, exited at exit 266 and crashed at the intersection of Turkey Farm Road and Barnhill Place.
Instead of sticking around, deputies say, the driver took off on foot. The sheriff's office reports that deputies rolled out a drone and, with help from the state highway patrol, set up a perimeter and caught the suspect after a brief search.
Charges And Custody
The driver was identified as 36-year-old James D. Smallwood of Mecklenburg County, who was brought before a magistrate in Hillsborough. Smallwood faces felony counts of possession of cocaine with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver; maintaining a vehicle for the manufacture, sale or delivery of cocaine; and speeding to elude arrest.
He is also charged with several misdemeanors, including possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while license revoked, failure to stop for blue lights and siren, and willfully resisting or obstructing an officer.
The magistrate set bond at $5,000 secured and ordered Smallwood held at the Orange County Detention Center. Under the Pretrial Integrity Act, the magistrate did not set bond because Smallwood already faces criminal charges in Mecklenburg County, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
What’s Next
Smallwood remains in custody at the Orange County Detention Center while prosecutors review the case, the sheriff's release said. Court dates have not yet been posted publicly, and the district attorney's office will decide how to move forward based on the evidence gathered.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Orange County Sheriff's Office through its usual public channels.
