Man charged with death of 13-year-old in crash off bridge in Wake County
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- Joshua Lewis, 36, is charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle in a Saturday crash.
- Lewis also faces a citation for unsafe tires in the crash.
- A 13-year-old passenger died at the scene after Lewis’ truck went off a bridge.
A man has been charged in a Wake County crash that killed a 13-year-old Saturday.
Joshua Phillip Lewis, 36, is charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle and unsafe tires, Lt. Christopher Knox with the State Highway Patrol said Monday.
As first reported by CBS17, Lewis was allegedly driving a 2008 Ford F-350 Super Duty that crashed off the Neuse River Bridge on Saturday, killing his passenger.
The crash occurred at 9:45 a.m. on the eastbound side of Interstate 540 when the front left tire on Lewis’ truck blew out, causing him to overcorrect, Knox said via email. When he did, Lewis allegedly drifted into the left lane and sideswiped a Dodge Charger, then veered off the road and over the bridge.
The 13-year-old was the front passenger in the truck and died at the scene, according to Knox. Lewis was taken to WakeMed’s main campus for treatment; he hadn’t been served with his charges as of Monday afternoon, indicating he is likely still hospitalized.
The driver of the Charger was not injured, Knox said. The crash remained under investigation Monday.
This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 4:44 PM.
