Driver charged with DWI after fatal collision with a CATS bus in Charlotte, police say

Police charged a 21-year-old SUV driver with felony death by vehicle and DWI after they said he hit a CATS bus, killing his passenger and hospitalizing bus riders on Thursday.

The passenger died at the scene of the wreck on Mount Holly Road at Interstate 485, police said. The passenger’s name and age will be released once family members are notified, according to a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department news release on Saturday.

The SUV driver, Derwin Lewis of Charlotte, is free on $2,000 bail, jail records show.

Medic took Lewis and two bus passengers to hospitals with minor injuries, according to police and Medic reports.

Lewis was driving eastbound at about 12:15 p.m. when he hit the westbound bus as Lewis was turning left onto an Interstate 485 ramp, CMPD said.

Lewis also was charged with failure to yield the right of way, according to CMPD.

Police urged anyone with information about the wreck to call CMPD Detective Daniel Buckley at 704-432-2169, extension 2, or Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.