Man found in submerged vehicle with gunshot wound at Salt River Marina

CHRISTIANSTED — A passing motorist rushed into the waters at Salt River Marina to rescue a man submerged in a vehicle only to discover that the crash victim had been fatally shot, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.

The case began at 1:54 p.m. Saturday, when a concerned citizen called to report an auto accident in the waters near Salt River Marina, according to the VIPD.

The concerned citizen pulled the car out of the water, removed the occupant from within, and discovered
an unresponsive Hispanic male with an apparent gunshot wound, VIPD spokeswoman Kishma Chichester said.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) arrived, found no signs of life, and pronounced the male dead, according to Chichester.

The unnamed individual was positively identified by his next of kin, police said.

The St. Croix Medical Examiner will perform an autopsy to determine if the victim died because of the crash or the shooting, according to police.

Vehicular suicides constitute about 10-30% of fatal single-vehicle crashes, and must be considered in any vehicular mishap lacking another reasonable explanation.