A St. Thomas man who was killed Wednesday when he lost control of his motorcycle on Veterans Drive was wearing a helmet but died of massive internal injuries to his upper torso, according to police.
It was the first traffic fatality of 2001.
Winston "Malik" Leonard, 28, may have been riding recklessly. Police spokeswoman Sgt. Annette Raimer said a witness told police that Leonard was "wheelying" — accelerating quickly enough to bring the front wheel of the bike off the ground — when he veered into a curb and was thrown from his Suzuki motorcycle into the concrete base of a traffic light.
Leonard died of his injuries at Roy L. Schneider Hospital's emergency room.
A graduate of Antilles School, Leonard went on to attend Morehouse College in Atlanta. He held several black belts in martial arts and had been working as a manager at America's Paradise Gym in Nisky Center.
Until recently, Leonard also taught math and science at All Saints Cathedral School.
