ST. CROIX — A serious two-vehicle accident involving a motorbike and a pickup truck occurred on Saturday at approximately 8:17 p.m. on Bonne Esperance Road, Route 709, near Plot 645 in Barren Spot, prompting emergency responses and critical medical action.

According to the V.I. Police Department, officers were dispatched to the scene after the VITEMA 911 Call Center received reports of the collision. Upon arrival, law enforcement from the Special Operations Bureau was already managing traffic, diverting vehicles from the crash site as emergency medical personnel transported one of the involved drivers to Juan F. Luis Hospital.

The preliminary investigation indicates that the collision occurred when a black Toyota Tacoma, stopped at a four-way intersection, was struck by a motorbike ascending the hill. The driver of the Tacoma reported hearing a loud bang before exiting his vehicle to find the motorbike and its rider in the roadway, aligning with the scene's physical evidence.

The motorbike rider, who was found without a helmet, was operating an unregistered and uninsured off-road dirt bike with inadequate lighting for night visibility, according to the VIPD. During the emergency response, a firearm was discovered on the motorbike rider and secured by Special Operations Bureau officers, with further investigations pending.

Hospital officials later reported that the motorbike rider suffered significant injuries, including bleeding in the brain and a kidney laceration, necessitating medical evacuation from the territory for advanced treatment.

This accident marks the second major traffic incident on St. Croix that day. Earlier, another severe accident involved a Toyota Tundra, which resulted in the driver sustaining serious injuries after the vehicle went airborne and crashed into roadside vegetation following a loss of control and collision with a guardrail and concrete box.