FREDERIKSTED — A St. Croix taxi driver who was intoxicated drove recklessly and too fast, and eventually caused a three-car crash on Grove Place Road (Route 704), authorities said.
Julian St. Rose was arrested Wednesday and charged with driving under the influence of an intoxicating liquor and negligent driving, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
Police were dispatched to the scene of a three-vehicle collision on November 30 where they met with two of the male drivers involved in the accident, the probable cause fact sheet states. A third driver, a female, was taken to the Juan F. Luis Hospital for medical treatment.
One of the drivers, Julian St. Rose, was standing next to his gold Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. St. Rose handed over his keys to police after an officer requested it. While speaking to St. Rose, the officer smelled a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath and person.
St. Rose’s eyes had a glassy look and he was holding onto his truck to keep his balance, according to the sworn VIPD affidavit. St. Rose’s speech was also slurred.
Police asked St. Rose if he had been drinking. He said he consumed two beers at his ex-wife’s house. St. Rose said he had visited his former wife to assist her because he has a truck.
St. Rose failed all three field sobriety tests performed by the officer, and he was placed under arrest.
An investigation concluded that St. Rose was heading south on Grove Place Road (Route 705) near The Market (formerly Plaza Extra – West), when his vehicle veered into the northbound lane and collided into two vehicles. The first vehicle struck was a white Ford Explorer and the second was a Nissan Sentra. The two vehicles both sustained disabling damage.
The driver of the white Ford Explorer told police that he was heading north when he saw St. Rose’s vehicle heading towards his, so he pulled to the left as much as he could. Despite this, St. Rose’s truck hit the Ford Explorer.
The driver of the Nissan Sentra who was interviewed at the hospital said she saw St. Rose’s truck hit the truck in front of her and then hit her vehicle. She said St. Rose then exited his vehicle and approached her vehicle in an aggressive manner and started yelling and cursing at her.
In court on Friday, a judge ruled that St. Rose would be allowed to post his chaffeur’s license in lieu of bail.
Upon being released, he was ordered to report to the Office of Probation every Tuesday and to have no contact with any witnesses in this matter.
