St. Croix fatalities prompt road safety alert as territory reaches 13 deaths this year

Two fatal collisions on St. Croix within days have prompted the Virgin Islands Police Department and Office of Highway Safety to call for heightened caution among motorists across the territory.

On Monday evening, a white Kia Sorento carrying 96-year-old Donn B. Schindler left the roadway in the Salt River area. At approximately 8:11 p.m., emergency responders arrived to find the vehicle overturned at the base of a cliff. Police determined that Schindler was driving northeast down a slope when he lost command of the SUV, which then plunged over a short cliff. He sustained severe head injuries and died at the scene.

The fatal crash followed a collision that occurred two days prior near Estate Castle Burke. Around 5 a.m. on Saturday, a black Acura traveling north on East Airport Road struck a white Toyota RAV4 moving east on Queen Mary Highway. The RAV4 driver, 22-year-old Jeralys M. Guzman, was killed instantly. Her passenger in the front seat was rushed to Luis Hospital in critical condition, while the two people in the Acura sustained injuries deemed non-life-threatening and received hospital care.

Through 2026, the territory has experienced 3,631 traffic crashes, leaving 662 people injured and claiming 13 lives, the agencies reported. Authorities identified speeding, inattention, driving under the influence and unrestrained occupants as leading contributors to collisions.

In a joint statement, the police department and highway safety office said: "A moment of carelessness or poor judgment can result in a lifetime of devastating consequences. Roadway safety is everyone's responsibility." They called on drivers to maintain legal speeds, concentrate fully while driving and ensure all passengers wear seat belts.

The agencies also appealed to riders of motorcycles to use safety gear and to pedestrians to stay vigilant. Passengers were encouraged to intervene if they observe unsafe driving.

A third serious crash unfolded on October 14 at the intersection of Paradise Road and Melvin H. Evans Highway. The driver lost control while traveling west, hit a guardrail and was not wearing a seat belt at the time. After transport to Luis Hospital, the driver underwent surgery and remained on mechanical ventilation as of an October 19 police update.