News

Light rail back open after crash bent tracks

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte Area Transit Service crews have repaired the light rail tracks after an overnight crash caused delays to the service.

A driver crashed and bent the light rail track at Woodlawn and Scaleybark roads in south Charlotte around 2 a.m.

Police told Channel 9 they think the driver had sideswiped a cab on Woodlawn Road and was trying to get away from the taxi driver, who was following.

A large red stripe of paint was visible on the side of the cab.

Nobody was seriously hurt in the accident.

The crash forced LYNX to cut down service to just one track.  Inbound trains were running every 20 minutes instead of every 10 minutes.

CATS officials said the track was fixed and reopened around 7 a.m.  They said the trains may run a little slower around the Woodlawn Road station.

CATS had set up supplemental buses to pick up riders only at the Interstate 485, South Boulevard station to reduce the wait and travel time.  That service has been canceled.