Man critically injured when ‘drifting bike’ crashes in Belleville

A 42-year-old man suffered critical head and leg injuries when he crashed the three-wheeled “drifting bike” he was riding in Belleville, police say.

According to an emailed release from Belleville Police Lt. Col. Mark Heffernan, the man was driving the motorized bike on a private parking lot in the 1400 block of East Main Street Saturday at about 5:26 p.m. Witnesses told responding officers the bike struck a poll adjacent to the parking lot and ejected the man onto East Main, the release stated.

The driver, whose name was not released, was transported by EMS to a St. Louis hospital. Heffernan said his injuries were critical but that he is in stable condition.

According to numerous dealers online, a drifting bike is a three-wheeled vehicle that sits lot to the ground — like a Big Wheel — and has a small motor.