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ST. THOMAS — A man died and a female passenger suffered life-threatening injuries early Sunday after a sport utility vehicle crashed into a brick pillar and overturned on Bovoni Road in St. Thomas, according to the V.I. Police Department. The female driver sustained moderate injuries in the collision, which remains under investigation.
The 911 Emergency Call Center received a report at approximately 3:31 a.m. Sunday that a vehicle had overturned on Benburin Stephens Drive, commonly known as Bovoni Road, in the area of Gasworks Gas Station. Responding officers found the vehicle resting on its left side at the entrance to the gas station, with an unresponsive male still inside.
Police were told that two female occupants had already been transported by ambulance to the Roy Lester Schneider Hospital before officers arrived. VIPD said its preliminary investigation determined that a white Subaru Forester had been traveling on Benburin Stephens Drive near Gasworks when the female driver lost control and collided head-on with a brick pillar at the entrance to the gas station, causing the SUV to overturn onto its left side.
Three people were inside the vehicle at the time of the crash. Police said the driver sustained moderate injuries, while the female passenger suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported for medical treatment. The male occupant succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
The Bovoni collision occurred during what VIPD Director of Communications Glen Dratte described as an exceptionally busy period for police and traffic investigators, with multiple crashes reported overnight.
“A very busy Saturday night as VIPD recorded 4 car crashes - with 2 being fatal. And 2 being overturned due to excessive speeding. The Traffic Bureau Investigation continues to remind drivers to about excessive speed on the roadway,” Mr. Dratte said.
His comments underscore broader concern from the department about excessive speed following the series of crashes. VIPD's formal release on the Bovoni collision, however, does not independently identify speed as the cause of this particular crash. The department says only that its preliminary investigation found that the driver lost control before striking the brick pillar.
VIPD has not yet released the identity of the deceased man, saying his name is being withheld pending identification and notification of his next of kin. The department's Traffic Investigation Bureau is continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Anyone with information regarding the collision is asked to contact the Traffic Investigation Bureau at 340-774-2211.
