ST. THOMAS – Twenty-nine (29) people were transported to the RLS Regional Medical center for treatment to injuries suffered in a major auto accident in the Hospital Ground area of St. Thomas Wednesday afternoon. At 3:38pm police were notified that a major auto collision had occurred at the intersections near the Antonio Jarvis School.

In addition to Chief of Police Rodney Querrard (STT/STJ/WI District); Forensic, Patrol/Traffic, and Investigation Bureaus of the VIPD the following government and independent agencies responded to the scene: EMS, Superior Court Marshals, St. Thomas Rescue, Water and Power Authority (WAPA), Health, Public Works, Waste Management Authority; Property & Procurement; Fire and representatives from the West Indies Company (WICO).

Upon arrival at the scene police observed a WAPA service vehicle, classified by WAPA officials as a freight-line bucket service truck had made contact with two civilian vehicles resulting in damage to itself and four others. One vehicle, a red colored pick-up truck, was wedged underneath the overturned service truck; and another, a white colored economy size vehicle, also sustained damage in the collision. A “Safari” style taxi van occupied by twenty-two cruise-ship passengers and the vehicle’s driver was also involved in the collision and sustained significant damage as a result. A fourth civilian vehicle that was parked in the area also sustained minor damage.

Three WAPA employees occupied the company service vehicle. All three sustained minor injuries were transported to the hospital via ambulance where they were subsequently treated and released.

The St. Thomas resident (female) who occupied the white economy sized vehicle was transported to the hospital and subsequently treated and released.

According to hospital officials, as of 10:30pm Wednesday evening all but one occupant of the taxi van will have been treated and released from the hospital. One occupant who was admitted to the hospital by the Chief of Surgery sustained serious injury and will be air-lifted to an intensive care facility in Florida.

At this time the cause of and sequence of events preceding this incident are subjects of a detailed investigation by the Virgin Islands Police Department’s Traffic Bureau. “WAPA is working in full cooperation with the Virgin Islands Police department in their investigation and will conduct its own comprehensive internal investigation into this incident.” said WAPA representative Gregory Rhymer.