Tourist killed and shooting at the Ritz?

Scooter and safari collision by the Red Hook fruit stand is true, but unsure if a tourist was killed.

Live VERY close to the Ritz and have heard nothing of a shooting in the area.

Would not be supried if there was gun play on the road out to cabrita. The narrow section by the time shares sees a fair amount of action.

Here's the article about the scooter accident:
http://stthomassource.com/content/news/local-news/2013/05/12/officers-investigate-fatal-accident

No-one should be allowed to drive scooters on these islands. The roads are way too pothole ridden and dangerous. More so now that we have those ruts created by laying the underground cable lines. Can't count the number of times I have seen tourists on these scooters, fallen on the roadside. I am sorry this young man had to lose his life on one and my condolences go out to his family.

I have not heard nor read any reports of a shooting out by the Ritz Carlton so can't comment on that.

Yeah a good friend of mine rented one for the hell of it. Another friend got cut off by some tourists and hit a stone wall with it on STT. He wasn't really hurt, just some scrapes, and he was lucky.

I'd very much like to see scooters/mopeds outlawed here. Like Alana, I can't count the number of accidents I've witnessed first hand over the years and ER personnel will attest to the fact that there are plenty such accidents. They don't get reported for the most part except in a case like this where someone was actually killed. I stay WAY back from moped riders when I see them on the roads - they scare the bejasus out of me and, when they try and overtake you, you can't even see them in that "blind spot" particularly in a truck or an SUV.

Travelers should be warned that if they decide to rent a scooter or a moped here they are well advised to make sure their medical insurance premiums and life insurance policies are paid up, their wills have been executed, their affairs are in order and they take out membership in an emergency medical airlift program.

Amen to that!

Really? "outlaw" scooters? How about you just need a motorcycle license or have to take a more in depth course like you do to go on your first dive. Outlaw...sheesh.

Really? "outlaw" scooters? How about you just need a motorcycle license or have to take a more in depth course like you do to go on your first dive. Outlaw...sheesh.

Which begs the question, how much time have you spent driving around St Thomas? Sheesh.

Just speaking of very inexperienced drivers/tourists that think it would be "fun" to drive a scooter on STT without considering the facts of steep, winding, mountainous roads which can be treacherous in an automobile, not to mention all the ruts and uneven surfaces they must contend with without ever driven one, previously. We won't even go into the other drivers on our roads that blast thru stop signs, on your side of the road while yakking away on their cell phones paying no attention whatsoever to what they are doing!
Scooters are marketed to tourists for the most part so they are the ones we see strewn hither and yon, bleeding and frightened after their accidents on the sides of the roads or sometimes in the middle of the road.

I recently had a guest inquire as to renting a scooter during their vacation and I implored them, for their own safety and end enjoyment (plus my peace of mind) that they rent a car. They'd be much happier.

Scooters are fine in Bermuda, STT, not so much!

in some places jetskis have been outlawed due to stupid drivers not paying attention and killing people. the roads here are terrible and some people do drive cycles/scooters, it is not something i would want to do here due to the road conditions and other drivers

There have been many different stories about the accident that I have heard. Unfortunately, my husband and I were in the car directly behind the man who lost his life. My husband was the one who made the original 911 call. It was a terrible, terrible thing to witness and it is something I would wish no one will ever have to see. The man on the scooter was driving on the wrong side of the road and that is how the collision happened. I am not sure why the media is opting to leave this bit of information out of its reports.

Maybe not outlaw these rental scooters but like was said above, it needs much more regulation. For someone who is here visiting, driving a rental CAR and having to drive on the opposite side of the road than one is accustomed to is enough of a distraction. And then you through in so many other distractions of being on a scooter.

Such a terribly sad situation....

i was in st thomas 7 years ago for the first time wanting to buy a scooter rental company. i fell on loose gravel going down the hill to magens bay, an hour after i got the keys to one of the scooters, a taxi driver looked over, shook his head and kept driving. ironically on my way to the airport, he was the driver and said that he the reason he shook his head, is because he sees people fall on the scooters two to three times a week.

I have a Vespa I love dearly. I would no more bring it to STX than I would stand naked in Market Square.

Continentals don't get it. They think we're Key West.

There is nothing wrong with riding a bike, be it a Harley or a scooter, if you have the proper experience and equipment. I ride on STX along with many others and while you have to take into account the road conditions, I don't think it's inherently more dangerous than avoiding distracted drivers up on the mainland.

That being said, the idea of renting scooters to unqualified tourists on STT is a recipe for disaster.

St Croix is WAY flatter than St Thomas - little comparison between the two where topography is concerned. However, worth noting is that this fatal accident occurred on a stretch of flat road on St Thomas and not on one of the many steep hills. It seems from various reports that for some reason the driver veered into the opposite lane and was then hit by the oncoming safari bus. Likewise the last reported accident about a year ago was on the flat Bolongo road on St Thomas when a moped carrying two visitors flipped over. The young man in that case was quite badly hurt and had to be airlifted out.

Badly injurred tourrist are normally "air lifted" out, especially if they are cruise passengers or staying at one of the larger resorts. The reason for this is two fold. The VI government doesn't want tourrist dieing on the island. RLS trauma care is second rate. When a tourrist is transfered to a state side hospital from RSL, the press release normal reads, "treated and released" not "treated and transfered" as it should. (i.e. last year's parasailing accident) Injured locals don't get the same attention.

Why aren't scooter renters required to have Motor Cycle license? Was speed a factor in the crash. I'm always shocked at how fast the safaris speed past the fruit stand.... Visitors enjoy (and pay good money for) a varity of dangerous actitivities like scooter, parasailing, jet skis, riding in the back of saffaris, alcohol consumtion... If you want to make the island safer, lets star with outlawing free rum punch (and two for one drink specials), riding in the back of bootlegged pick-ups, and open air drug dealing at the ferry terminal.

IMO, the topograpghy of STT doesn't preclude "scootering". Folks ride mopeds and scooters around hilly locals all over the globe. The danger comes from (in this order) inexperienced riders and other motorist (speeding saffaris) and poorly maintained roads. every single day I am almost run off the road by some crazy motorist....

Good day to all!

I am Stateside, but my heart is on the island. can any of you help with some updated info:

Has there been any further reports from the investigation of the cause of this tragic death? Was the driver wearing a helmet? Was alcohol involved? Any other misc. details?

thanks!

The last I heard was from a police officer who said that it was his understanding that the scooter's driver lost control of the machine and veered into the opposite lane right in front of an oncoming safari bus (which was not speeding). The safari driver didn't even have a chance to brake until his vehicle was on top of the scooter/driver. A nearby construction loader was employed to lift the safari bus off the pinned victim. A sad accident.

I am sorry if I offend anyone, but motorcycles/scooters/etc are death traps on STT.

/had a Yamaha 550 Maxim and only got into one crash, but that was enough for me

Really? "outlaw" scooters? How about you just need a motorcycle license or have to take a more in depth course like you do to go on your first dive. Outlaw...sheesh.

Which begs the question, how much time have you spent driving around St Thomas? Sheesh.

Maybe they should re test drivers when they reach a certain age.

Good day to all!

I am Stateside, but my heart is on the island. can any of you help with some updated info:

Has there been any further reports from the investigation of the cause of this tragic death? Was the driver wearing a helmet? Was alcohol involved? Any other misc. details?

thanks!

Bogeybob, all good questions. You'd think both drivers would be tested for drugs/alcohol. One wold assume that both vechicles (or what remains) would be inspected for mechanical failures. Both owners would be asked to provide maintence records. Both driver's driving/training licenses would be checked. You'd think that an investiagion would try to determine the rate of speed for each vechicle as well as the raod condition (potholes) and if either vechicle was traveling at unsfae speed for the road condition. Had the safari driver completed a safety class?
Most likely, the VIPD will just take the smiple route and "blame the victim" for indulging in a unsafe actitity.

If USVI had "real public transport" then less folks woould be temped to rent scooters (as alternative to spending $50 - $100 @ day for rental cars or safaris).