Charlotte bus driver arrested, fired after fatal hit and run at bus stop, CMPD says

A public bus driver in Charlotte has been charged with felony hit and run after a fatal collision, police say.

According to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officials, the driver is accused of hitting and killing 58-year-old Michael Skelton Jr., who had been standing at a bus stop on North Tryon Street Tuesday morning.

The Charlotte Area Transit System said Wednesday the driver was fired after being arrested. Police identified the driver as 54-year-old Luis Garcia in a news statement on Wednesday. Transit officials did not immediately say how long he’s been a driver.

“ ... At approximately 11:19 a.m., North Tryon Division officers responded to the 5000 block of N. Tryon Street in reference to an unresponsive subject in the roadway. Upon arrival, officers located the male victim lying in the roadway on N. Tryon Street in front of a Charlotte Area Transit System (C.A.T.S.) bus stop,” CMPD said in a news statement Wednesday.

The investigation is ongoing, officials said. In a statement, CATS said bus drivers “undergo a rigorous driving training program” and that rider safety remains “our first priority.”

Skelton was hit while waiting for the bus and had “attempted to get the driver to stop and was struck,” according to the statement from CMPD.

“The driver of the bus, Luis Manuel Garcia, then drove away from the scene of the crash without providing aid to the victim. Speed and impairment are not contributing factors for Luis Garcia,” police officials said Wednesday.

CATS said Garcia was driving bus #1079, which runs route 11/North Tryon.

“We send our prayers and condolences to the family of the deceased and to those impacted by this traumatic event,” Juliann Sheldon, CATS Acting Public & Community Relations Manager, said in a statement Wednesday.

This story was originally published May 27, 2020 at 1:20 PM.