An out-of-control vehicle in the Lockhart Garden parking lot resulted in the tragic death of a pedestrian on Friday afternoon, August 4, 2023, the USVI Police Department has announced. Photo: VI Consortium

The incident, which involved multiple vehicle collisions, resulted in the death of Lavern Liburd-Thompson, the USVIPD made known.

The chain of events unfolded as a vehicle, driving on Rumar Drive, entered the Lockhart Garden parking lot in the vicinity of Kmart. The operator of the vehicle attempted to park but ended up losing control of the vehicle, according to the police report. 

The report says that the runaway vehicle journeyed across roughly four parking spaces. It collided with several parked vehicles and a returned shopping cart, wreaking havoc and leaving a trail of destruction in its path.

Vehicle lost control - USVIPD 

Among the chaos, a pedestrian, identified later as Liburd-Thompson by her family members, was caught in the pathway of the berserk vehicle. Ms. Liburd-Thompson was unable to escape the fast-approaching vehicle and was hit during the incident, the VIDP reported.

Tragically, she succumbed to her injuries. Details about her condition at the scene or any attempts to provide medical assistance have not been released. Ms. Liburd-Thompson was described as a beloved figure in the Lockhart Garden area.

It is currently unclear what caused the operator of the vehicle to lose control, and an investigation into the cause of the accident is underway. Authorities are asking anyone with information about the incident to come forward to help piece together the horrifying chain of events that led to this tragic loss of life.