Driver dies after his pickup truck collides into back of a CATS bus, police say

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new information Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police provided on Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022.

A 37-year-old man died after his pickup truck collided with a Charlotte Area Transit System bus in the Steele Creek area Wednesday morning, police said.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officers received a call about an an accident in the 11400 block of South Tryon Street, near Garden Oaks Lane. Officers found an injured Robert Compton without a seat belt on and in the driver’s seat of a green 2001 Dodge Dakota with heavy front-end damage around 9:30 a.m., police said in a news release Thursday.

A CATS bus nearby had rear-end damage, according to the release. The only individual in the bus was the driver, Arthur Walker, police said. He was uninjured.

Medic attempted to save Compton’s life, but he died at the scene, police said.

According to CMPD, the bus remained stopped after dropping off two passengers, stopped at the bus stop and was in the right lane closest to the curb. Compton was driving south in the right lane and did not stop before his pickup collided into the rear of the bus, police said.

Toxicology results are pending for Compton, police said. CMPD detectives will determine if speed was a contributing factor.

The wreck caused significant traffic delays in the area, Charlotte Fire said in a tweet.