An Atlantic City woman seen swerving before a deadly Hamilton Township crash was indicted on charges of vehicular homicide and assault by auto.
Taniya Deal, 20, had "various narcotics in her system" when she crossed the centerline on Tilton Road near the Atlantic City International Airport around noon Sept. 4.
Deal was arrested two weeks earlier for allegedly dealing drugs out of a room at the Ramada Hotel in Egg Harbor Township.
An investigation led police to search Room 102 on Aug. 20, when they found wax folds of heroin stamped "blue magic," cocaine and 26 amphetamine pills, along with digital scales and items used to package narcotics, according to the affidavit of probable cause obtained by BreakingAC.
Her co-defendant, Mark Hopewell, pleaded in the case, and took responsibility for the drugs, court records show. He was sentenced Feb. 25, and is serving a three-year sentence in Bayside State Prison.
Deal pleaded guilty to a disorderly persons charge of failure to turn over a controlled dangerous substance on March 4, and was not given any jail time or put on probation.
She was charged in the crash 13 days later. A grand jury indicted her Tuesday.
Deal was traveling east on Tilton Road on Sept. 4, when she crossed the centerline into oncoming traffic.
A witness told BreakingAC that she had crossed over a few times prior to the crash. She was going about 10 mph below the speed limit.
Deal's 2008 Mercedes C300 struck Stephen Bouchard's 2019 Toyota Tacoma head on, police said.
Bouchard, a beloved former teacher in the Greater Egg Harbor Township School District, suffered severe injuries in the crash and was airlifted to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center's City Campus
Deal's only passenger, 30-year-old Shayniyah Reynolds, was rushed to the Atlantic City hospital by ambulance with Deal.
Reynolds died at the hospital.
Prescription drugs and wax folds believed to contain drugs were found in Deal's vehicle.
Less than a day before the crash, Deal had a small crash in Ventnor, BreakingAC has confirmed.
She struck a parked vehicle at about 9:11 p.m. Sept. 3, in the 6700 block of Atlantic Avenue.
Deal, who now lists a Mays Landing address, was cited for careless driving likely to endanger person or property and failure to show proof of insurance. The police report indicates no evidence of impairment at that time.
She was charged on a summons, and has not been jailed.
Deal is due in court May 4.
