Man Driving Truck That Crashed Into Moped Killing Two People Charged With Double Vehicular Homicide; DUI And Negligent Driving

ST. CROIX — A man who was driving a truck that crashed into the back of a moped and killed the two people who were on it has been charged with driving under the influence and with two counts of vehicular homicide, V.I.P.D. Commissioner Delroy Richards, Sr. confirmed to The Consortium last week.

Mr. Richards said the suspect, Anthony Gumbs, above left, was initially charged with negligent driving and D.U.I., but at Mr. Gumbs’ advise-of-rights hearing, the charges were upgraded with two counts of vehicular homicide. Mr. Gumbs, 41, who told police he was a bartender at Gertrudes Restaurant, was released on Monday, May 9 after making bail of $50,000. His driver’s license has been revoked.

The accident, which occurred on May 6 on the Melvin Evans Highway just after 8:00 p.m. east of the entrance that leads to the Ricardo Richards Elementary School, resulted in the deaths of the victims — male and female Caucasians, with the male victim dying on the scene and the female victim succumbing to her wounds at the Juan F. Luis Hospital, according to Mr. Richards. Mr. Gumbs was operating a 2002 GMC truck.

Upon arrival on the scene, a Consortium reporter saw the body of the male victim lying motionless under a railing on the highway. The accident had caused the victims to be thrust forward, leaving the male victim dead on the spot.

The scene was overwhelmed with police officers, EMTs, Fire Service personnel and St. Croix Rescue at one point. Motorists driving from east to west slowed down, curious to know what had occurred. The moped was completely mangled, a sign of the intensity of the crash.

The female victim was identified by next of kin as 25-year-old Hannah Peterson of St. Cloud, Minnesota, and the male victim as 43-year-old Edwin Miles Thornbury of Sauk Rapids, Minnesota.

Correction: May 15, 2016

A previous version of this story, because of erroneous information provided by the V.I.P.D., stated that the suspect was released from custody last Thursday, when he was in fact released on the Monday following the incident, which was May 9. The story has been updated to reflect the correction information.

Feature Image: From left to right: Anthony Gumbs’ mugshot, provided by the V.I.P.D. Police conducting further investigation the morning after the accident. Image Credit: VIC.