PHILIPSBURG:— Two serious accidents involving motorcycles that occurred on Sunday are under investigation by the Police Traffic Department.
The first accident took place on St. Peters Road on 30 May. At about 1:30 pm, Police dispatch received several calls about a traffic accident on St Peters Road where a motorcyclist lost control and crashed into an oncoming car.
Upon arrival on the scene, the police patrol and ambulance personnel found a man with injuries to his lower back and a possibly broken arm from the collision with the car. He was attended to by the ambulance personnel and transported to St. Maarten Medical Center for further treatment.
The second accident was on Welfare Road in front of the Police Station in Simpson Bay. Preliminary investigation shows that the motorcyclist was riding at such a high speed that he lost control of his motorcycle and crashed on the road.
Medics from the military who were in the area administered first aid to the victim as they awaited the ambulance. The motorcyclist had suffered trauma to his head and face from the crash. He was further attended to by ambulance personnel and transported to St. Maarten Medical Center for further treatment.
KPSM Press Release.
Military personnel assists after a motorcycle accident.
In a unilateral motorcycle accident on Sint Maarten, marines acted appropriately when a motorcyclist fell. After they saw the rider fall, the marines immediately started applying for victim assistance. For example, they performed neck stabilization to prevent further injury, cooled bruises, and stopped other traffic so that the police and ambulance could reach the scene safely. When stabilizing the victim, they checked breathing and heart rate so that the military personnel could transfer the victim to the ambulance properly. The military personnel was present in the area because they took part in a hurricane emergency relief exercise in which logistical movements and familiarization with the island are the main focus.
The defense has a permanent marine detachment on Sint Maarten.
