A motor vehicle accident in a residential section of Tyrone resulted in an arrest that may have put a stop to a considerable amount of criminal activity.

According to a Tyrone Police Department spokesman, officers responded the afternoon of July 26 to the accident in the area of Castlewood Drive and Castle Lake Drive. The driver of one of the vehicles fled into the woods by the time police arrived.

With assistance from Fayette County Sheriff’s Office deputies and their dogs, police located the man hiding in a drainage culvert.

An inventory of his car turned up suspected narcotics, a firearm, some ammunition, alcohol, and drug paraphernalia. Police also found packages in the car that were not addressed to the suspect; it could not be proven that he personally stole them, but the fact that they were in his possession merits a felony charge of theft by receiving stolen property.

Lavern Vereen 31, of Decatur also faces two counts of drug possession/sale/manufacture along with one each of possession of a firearm/knife in commission of a crime and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. Officials said he appears to have a significant criminal history.

Lesser charges include possession/use of drug-related objects, marijuana possession, obstruction of an officer, giving a false name to an officer, failure to maintain lane, failure to stop, and a removed/false/defaced tag.