Accidents
St. Thomas Resident Faces Court Following New Year’s Day Hit-and-Run
In a recent court appearance, a St. Thomas resident was charged with operating a vehicle without a valid driver’s license in connection to a hit-and-run incident on Veterans Drive on January 1, which resulted in a pedestrian being critically injured and left in a coma.
Durray Primus, the accused, voluntarily came forward to the Richard Callwood Command Traffic Investigation Bureau to provide his account of the events following the incident on New Year’s Day. Authorities were able to confirm Primus as the driver of a red Nissan Juke, which was captured on surveillance footage hitting a pedestrian in the troubling episode.
Investigations further uncovered that Primus was driving without a valid license at the time of the accident. His previous license had expired in 2022, and due to a restriction imposed by the Department of Justice, he was unable to obtain a renewal.
The surveillance video reviewed by the police showed the victim, dressed in dark attire and obscured by a dark jacket, attempting to cross the highway without ensuring it was safe from oncoming traffic. The pedestrian ventured into the path of Primus’s vehicle in the right eastbound lane, where traffic signals were green. Despite the pedestrian’s attempt to hurry across, the collision was inevitable, leading to severe injuries.
After the incident, the footage showed Primus momentarily opening the driver’s door and observing the injured pedestrian before leaving the scene without offering assistance.
Although the initial review of the incident suggested that Primus’s actions leading up to the collision were not deemed negligent, he faces charges for driving without a valid license and for fleeing the scene of an accident. Following these charges, Primus was detained to await further legal proceedings.
During his recent court appearance, Magistrate Simone VanHolten-Turnbull decided that Primus could be released on a $7500 unsecured bond. Conditions of his release include bi-weekly in-person check-ins at the probation office and adherence to standard bail conditions set by the court.
Primus is scheduled for a subsequent court appearance on February 23, where the case will continue to unfold.
Accidents
Unregistered Bike and Firearm Found in St. Croix Crash; Rider Airlifted After Critical Injuries
A severe crash involving a motorbike and a pickup truck occurred on Saturday at around 8:17 p.m. on Bonne Esperance Road, Route 709, near Plot 645 in Barren Spot, St. Croix, resulting in critical injuries and an extensive emergency response.
The Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) reported that officers were dispatched to the scene following a call from the VITEMA 911 Call Center. Upon arrival, officers from the Special Operations Bureau were already managing the scene, diverting traffic while emergency medical teams transported one of the drivers to Juan F. Luis Hospital.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the accident happened when a black Toyota Tacoma, stopped at a four-way intersection, was hit by a motorbike climbing the hill. The driver of the Tacoma recounted hearing a loud crash and discovering the motorbike and its rider on the road, corroborated by physical evidence at the scene.
The motorbike rider, who was not wearing a helmet, was operating an unregistered and uninsured off-road dirt bike lacking adequate lighting for night use, according to the VIPD. During the response, officers found a firearm on the rider, which was secured by the Special Operations Bureau, and further investigations are ongoing.
Hospital officials reported that the motorbike rider suffered severe injuries, including brain bleeding and a kidney laceration, necessitating an airlift from the territory for advanced medical treatment.
This incident was the second major traffic accident on St. Croix that day. Earlier, a Toyota Tundra was involved in a serious crash, resulting in the driver sustaining significant injuries after the vehicle went airborne, collided with a guardrail, and crashed into roadside vegetation.
ST. CROIX — A severe automobile accident on Saturday left a male driver critically injured, according to the V.I. Police Department. The incident occurred near the William D. Roebuck Industrial Park on Melvin H. Evans Highway around 11:58 a.m.
Responding to the scene were the VIPD’s Special Operations Bureau and the V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA). Fire and Rescue personnel discovered the driver with critical injuries, including a galvanized pipe protruding from his face, which he sustained while in the driver’s seat.
The injured man was urgently transported to Juan F. Luis Hospital for emergency treatment. Given the severity of his injuries, local physicians recommended airlifting him for specialized surgery to remove the four-foot pipe embedded in his face. He was flown out of the territory on Sunday morning.
Preliminary investigations by the VIPD indicate that the Toyota Tundra pickup truck was traveling westbound at a high speed. The driver reportedly lost control, collided with a guardrail, veered off the road, and became airborne after striking an embankment and a concrete box before coming to rest in the bushes.
Eyewitness accounts and scene evidence confirmed that the victim was wearing his seatbelt, as required by Title 20, Section 466 of the Virgin Islands Code. Despite this precaution, the crash’s severity led to the tragic incident involving the galvanized pipe.
The victim’s family was notified and was present at JFL Hospital to support him before his transfer for further medical care. The VIPD continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident and reminds the public to adhere to safe driving practices.
A tragic traffic accident on Weymouth Rhymer Highway in St. Thomas led to the untimely deaths of a man and a woman early Tuesday morning. The V.I. Police Department reported that the accident happened at about 12:52 a.m., near the stretch between New Herrnhut Road and Donoe Road.
The driver, 28-year-old Vernon Ferris, was navigating a silver Acura TSX eastward when he apparently lost control of the vehicle. The car veered off the road, ascended an embankment on the eastbound shoulder, and violently collided with a tree on its right side.
Vernon Ferris and his passenger, 29-year-old Tiniesha Smith, were both killed on impact. The authorities have since informed their families of the tragic event.
Investigations into the precise cause of the crash are currently underway by the VIPD.
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