Wake County I-540 crash: Teen dead, driver charged after pickup truck goes down embankment

Published
June 23, 2026
Outcome
Fatal
Location
North Carolina
Interstate 540 near the Neuse River Bridge
Incident type
Crash

Summary

Car Crash North Carolina Today in North Carolina: A 2008 Ford F-350 pickup truck and a 2017 Dodge Charger were both traveling east on I-540 near the Neuse River Bridge in Wake County around 9:45 a.m. on Saturday when the F-350 suffered a blown tire. The driver of the F-350, 36-year-old Joshua Phillip Lewis, overcorrected, sideswiped the Charger, hit the median guardrail, and overturned down a steep embankment, coming to rest on its top. The front seat passenger, a 13-year-old, was pronounced dead at the scene. Lewis was taken to WakeMed for treatment of his injuries, and the driver of the Charger was not injured. Lewis is charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle and unsafe tires.

Publicly reported parties

Name Role Status
Joshua Phillip Lewis Unknown Unknown

Original reporting

Wake County I-540 crash: Teen dead, driver charged after pickup truck goes down embankment

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