CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A CATS bus driver has been charged following a fatal hit-and-run crash Tuesday morning, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department reports.
According to police, the crash happened in the 5000 block of N. Tryon Street at around 11:19 a.m.
Police said their officers were called to the scene in reference to an unresponsive person in the roadway. When officers arrived, they located 58-year-old Michael Skelton Jr, in the roadway on N. Tryon Street in front of a Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) bus stop.
Police said MEDIC arrived and pronounced Skelton Jr. dead at the scene. The responding officers determined that the Skelton Jr. had been struck by a vehicle.
The preliminary investigation has revealed that Skelton Jr was at the bus stop when he was struck by CATS bus number 1079. The bus arrived at the stop at around 11:18 a.m.
According to police, when the bus arrived, Skelton Jr. attempted to get the driver to stop and was struck. The 54-year-old driver of the bus then drove away from the scene of the crash without providing aid to the victim, police said.
Speed and impairment are not contributing factors for the bus driver. Impairment is suspected for the victim; test results are pending, police report.
Police said the bus driver has been charged with felony hit and run.
Any witnesses to the crash, or anyone with information concerning this investigation, should contact Detective Crum at (704) 432-2169 Ext# 4 or Crime Stoppers at (704) 334-1600. The public can also visit the Crime Stoppers website at http://charlottecrimestoppers.com/.
CATS released the following statement regarding the incident:
On Tuesday morning, May 26, an incident occurred on bus #1079 (operating on fixed-bus route 11- North Tryon) which resulted in a pedestrian fatality.
CATS has been informed that as a result of this fatal incident, Bus Operator [name redacted] has been charged with Felony Hit and Run.
Transit Management of Charlotte, CATS’ bus operations contractor, has terminated the driver. All CATS bus operators undergo a rigorous driver training program upon employment and are held to the highest of industry standards.
The safety of riders remains our first priority. The incident remains under investigation by CMPD. We send our prayers and condolences to the family of the deceased and to those impacted by this traumatic event.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The bus driver's name has been removed from this article because the charges against him will not proceed after he passed away in January 2023.
