HomeNorth CarolinaCharlotte
Fatal car crashes in Charlotte, North Carolina
From 2020 through 2024, 516 people died in 481 crashes on streets and highways inside Charlotte, North Carolina.
That is 10.9 deaths a year for every 100,000 residents, below the North Carolina rate of 14.6 and below the US rate of 12.1.
I-485 (Outer Hwy) had more fatal crashes than any other road here: 55, killing 65.
Hit-and-runs made up 13% of fatal crashes here, against 6% statewide.
In 2024, 113 people were killed, 12% more than in 2020 (101).
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020-2024 · population: Census 2024 estimate, 943,476 · checked October 2, 2026
people killed in crashes, 2020-2024 (481 crashes)
deaths a year per 100,000 residents (North Carolina 14.6, US 12.1)
pedestrians killed, 25% of all deaths here
of fatal crashes involved a driver police reported as drinking
Where the fatal crashes happened
Each dot is one crash that killed at least one person, placed at the coordinates in the police report. The outline is Mecklenburg County; the dots are crashes inside Charlotte city limits.
The deadliest roads in Charlotte
I-485 (Outer Hwy) leads with 55 fatal crashes in five years. Roads are counted by the name in the crash report; a highway's frontage roads and ramps count toward it.
| # | Road | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I-485 Outer Hwy | 55 | 65 |
| 2 | I-85 Jeff Gordon Expressway | 39 | 43 |
| 3 | I-77 | 31 | 33 |
| 4 | US-29 N Tryon St | 29 | 31 |
| 5 | SR-24 Albemarle Rd | 23 | 24 |
| 6 | SR-27 Eedom Dr | 19 | 22 |
| 7 | SR-16 Brookshire Blvd | 14 | 14 |
| 8 | US-74 E Independence Blvd | 12 | 14 |
| 9 | SR-49 S Tryon St | 12 | 12 |
| 10 | SR-160 West Blvd | 7 | 8 |
Deaths by year
When crashes turn deadly
61% of fatal crashes here happened in the dark. The single deadliest hour was 2 am to 3 am.
Sunday had the most fatal crashes (96), and 38% fell on a Saturday or Sunday.
By month, August was the worst (54 crashes across the five years).
What was involved
Shares of fatal crashes (or of deaths) in Charlotte, next to North Carolina and the US. Red marks a share at least a quarter higher than the state's.
| Factor | Charlotte | Share | North Carolina | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding was a factor a driver coded by police as speeding, racing or too fast for conditions | 205 | 43% | 33% | 28% |
| A driver had been drinking police reported alcohol involvement for at least one driver | 169 | 35% | 24% | 26% |
| A large truck was involved a truck over 10,000 lbs | 48 | 10% | 11% | 13% |
| Hit-and-run a driver left the scene | 61 | 13% | 6% | 7% |
| Pedestrians killed share of all deaths | 131 | 25% | 15% | 18% |
| Motorcyclists killed share of all deaths | 74 | 14% | 14% | 15% |
| Bicyclists killed share of all deaths | 10 | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| Teens (15-19) killed share of all deaths | 29 | 6% | 7% | 7% |
After a crash in Charlotte
Crash reports here: how to get one from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
-
Get the crash report
Crash reports taken by city police and sheriffs are forwarded to DMV, and local departments generally send people to the NCDMV for a certified copy; for example Pittsboro Police say certified crash reports are available from the NCDMV only and point to form TR-67A.
-
Know your deadline
North Carolina gives you three years to file a personal injury lawsuit (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-52(5) and (16)). If a city, county or state vehicle was involved: A claim against the State under the Tort Claims Act must be filed with the Industrial Commission within three years after it accrues (two years after death for wrongful death). No pre-suit notice period was found for cities and counties.
-
Who pays
North Carolina is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the injuries and damage.
-
If you were partly at fault
If you are even slightly (1%) at fault for the crash, North Carolina bars you from recovering from the other driver (some exceptions, such as last clear chance and gross negligence by the defendant).
-
The other driver’s minimum coverage
The legal minimum liability coverage in North Carolina is $50,000 per injured person, $100,000 per crash and $50,000 for property (50/100/50).
Check your deadline and a rough claim range
A filing date and a rough value range for North Carolina. Both take under a minute.
County around Charlotte
| County | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mecklenburg County | 556 | 9.2 | 146 | 1,206,285 |
About these numbers
FARS counts every crash on a public road in which someone died within 30 days. It leaves out the far larger number of crashes that only injured people. Places are as coded in the report: a crash on a county road just outside city limits counts for the county, not the city. Rates use the Census 2024 population estimate and the five-year average.