Ghost Gun Found After 100-MPH Police Chase and Crash on St. Croix

A traffic stop over a missing license plate escalated into a 100-mph chase on St. Croix, ending in a crash. A ghost gun and automatic-fire device were recovered.

St. Croix High-Speed Chase Ends in Crash, Unserialized Firearm Recovered

A routine traffic stop on St. Croix escalated into a pursuit exceeding 100 miles per hour Saturday evening, ending when the fleeing vehicle crashed into a guardrail and officers recovered an unserialized 9mm firearm capable of automatic fire, viconsortium.com reports.

Officers on patrol first attempted to stop an Acura TSX traveling south on Emancipation Road after noticing the vehicle had no front license plate. Rather than pulling over, the driver accelerated and turned onto Percy Gerdine Avenue, then onto Stoney Ground Road, before heading left into the White Bay area near the former Arthur A. Richards school.

The chase moved onto the Melvin Evans Highway, where police say the Acura reached speeds above 100 mph with several patrol vehicles in pursuit. The vehicle ran through multiple red lights before the driver lost control near the Industrial Road intersection and struck a guardrail.

Officers helped passenger Elijah Blyden out of the wrecked vehicle through the passenger-side window. During a pat-down, police reportedly found an empty gun holster tucked into his waistband. A firearm was then discovered on the ground at the spot where Blyden had exited.

Forensic technicians identified the weapon as an unserialized 9mm handgun — a "ghost gun," bearing no manufacturer markings, model designation or serial number. The firearm was fitted with a 17-round magazine and a device that police say enabled automatic firing.

A records check confirmed that Blyden had not been issued a firearm license in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He was arrested and charged with unauthorized possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition, and was remanded into custody pending his first court appearance.

The driver, Kwane Wilson Jr., was also taken into custody following the October 3 crash. Wilson faces charges of failure to stop when ordered by a police officer, speeding, reckless operation of a motor vehicle and driving without a license.

Both men were scheduled to appear Monday before Magistrate Judge Yolan Brow Ross in V.I. Superior Court on St. Croix.

Source: Google News VI — Crime