CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Before the deadly stabbing that took the life of a 23-year-old Ukrainian immigrant on Charlotte’s light rail, the Charlotte Area Transit System had reported at least five Blue Line injuries to the federal government in 2025.

A WBTV analysis of reports submitted monthly to the Metropolitan Transit Commission revealed a small uptick since 2023 in reportable injuries*. Two years ago, there were no federally-reported injuries or deaths on the light rail, according to that data.

This year’s numbers only run through May, and WBTV was still waiting for data from the months of June and July at time of publication.

Iryna Zarutska’s killing at the hands of a random stranger last Friday would mark the first death in that data since December of 2024.

The monthly reports do

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