Prosecutors say the driver fled after an SUV hit a warehouse loading dock.
DETROIT, MI — A Lyft driver is charged with two counts of second-degree murder after prosecutors say he drove recklessly and crashed into a warehouse on Detroit’s west side, killing two passengers from North Carolina, authorities announced this week.
The case has drawn attention because the deaths stemmed from a single-vehicle crash, yet prosecutors filed murder charges typically seen in the most serious criminal cases. Investigators say the driver was traveling at a high rate of speed before losing control and slamming into a building along Rosa Parks Boulevard. The driver is also accused of running from the scene, and the court has scheduled hearings to review his bond and determine whether the case will move forward to trial.
The crash happened about 10:15 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, in the 6000 block of Rosa Parks Boulevard, near Interstate 94, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office. Police were sent to a warehouse after a report of a single vehicle accident. Officers found the sport-utility vehicle upright against a loading dock door, with two passengers trapped inside and unresponsive. Medics pronounced them dead at the scene. The victims were identified as Andre Boynton, 60, and Carla Boynton, 57, a married couple from Durham, North Carolina, authorities said.
Prosecutor Kym Worthy said the driver, Theopris Mays, 40, of Herndon, Virginia, was working as a Lyft driver at the time. Worthy’s office alleges Mays was “driving recklessly at a high rate of speed” when he lost control of the SUV and crashed into the building, fatally injuring the Boyntons. The prosecutor’s office said Mays then fled on foot. Detroit police arrested him a short time later after an investigation. In some early reports, authorities said Mays was also injured and taken for medical treatment while in custody.
More details about what led up to the impact emerged during court proceedings and public statements by officials. An assistant prosecutor, Brian Craigo, said investigators believe Mays had been speeding and ignoring traffic control devices for roughly 10 miles before the crash. Craigo said the vehicle was traveling more than 90 mph about five seconds before the collision and did not brake. Authorities have not publicly released a complete account of what prompted the alleged high-speed driving, and it was not immediately clear what evidence, such as vehicle data or surveillance footage, prosecutors plan to rely on as the case advances.
Lyft, which has faced scrutiny in past cases involving drivers and rider safety across the country, said the driver was removed from the platform after the Detroit crash. In a written statement provided to a local television station, a Lyft spokesperson said, “Our hearts are broken by this unimaginable loss,” adding that the company had reached out to the victims’ loved ones to offer support and was cooperating with law enforcement. The company did not discuss the driver’s account or the ongoing court case, and prosecutors have not said whether any additional charges or related investigations are expected.
Officials said the Boyntons were in Detroit for a religious event. Authorities said Mays picked them up from a hotel on Mercury Drive on Sunday morning and was driving them to Huntington Place, the downtown convention center, when the crash occurred. The warehouse where the SUV struck a loading dock sits along a busy corridor that connects neighborhoods and freeway ramps, and police said the impact left the vehicle lodged against the building. Investigators have not publicly said whether other vehicles were involved, and authorities described the incident as a single-vehicle crash.
Mays is charged with two counts of second-degree murder, one count of reckless driving causing death, and one count of leaving the scene of an at-fault accident causing death, the prosecutor’s office said. He was arraigned Feb. 25 in 36th District Court, where a judge set a $500,000 cash or surety bond. A bond redetermination hearing is scheduled for Feb. 27 before Judge William McConico. The court also scheduled a probable cause conference for March 5 before Judge Shawn Jacque, a step that can help determine whether the case should proceed toward a preliminary examination and possible trial.
Defense attorney statements have raised questions about Mays’ condition after the crash, though prosecutors have not backed away from the allegations. Mays’ lawyer argued that his client suffered a brain bleed, an injury the defense suggested could have affected how he behaved after the collision, including the allegation that he ran from the scene. Prosecutors have not publicly responded in detail to that claim, and it was not clear what medical records, if any, will be presented at upcoming hearings. Under the law, the charges remain allegations, and Mays is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The deaths of Andre and Carla Boynton sent shock waves through families and communities more than 600 miles from Detroit. The couple’s trip to Michigan was meant to be a short visit tied to a religious gathering, officials said, and their relatives and friends have begun making arrangements back home while the criminal case unfolds in Detroit. Investigators have not said whether they have interviewed additional witnesses from the hotel pickup or the route leading to Rosa Parks Boulevard, and police have not released a detailed timeline showing when the alleged speeding began and how it was tracked.
Author note: Last updated February 27, 2026.