A Bermudian student involved in a high speed car crash last Friday in Canada remains in the critical condition.

But a spokesman at the Halifax hospital where Tareek Somner, of Warwick, is being treated said yesterday the 21-year-old student's condition is improving.

And his family is keeping a bedside vigil at the hospital in the hopes of a recovery, The Royal Gazette understands.

Mr. Somner, a student at St. Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, has been in critical condition for a week after the car he was driving was involved in a serious, single vehicle accident.

Mr. Somner was driving the car at high speeds along Quinpool Road - a major Halifax thoroughfare - when it smashed into a stacked, stone wall at 3.30 a.m. last Friday, The Royal Gazette was told.

The car went off the wall, across the street and smashed into a tree on the driver's side.

When Police arrived on the scene of the early morning accident, the car was wedged against the tree on the sidewalk.

There was also a 19-year-old passenger in the vehicle but The Royal Gazette was told he was not seriously injured. He was treated for minor injuries that night and released from Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Halifax.

Yesterday, Queen Elizabeth hospital spokesman Jeff Wilson said Mr. Somner's condition remained critical over the last six days but declined to release details of his injuries.

Police in Halifax suspect alcohol and excessive speed were the cause of the crash.

The Royal Gazette was told that a blood sample was taken to test for Mr. Sommer's blood alcohol level although no charges have been laid to date.

If Mr. Somner is charged with impaired driving, under Canadian laws he could face harsh penalties and even possible jail time.

The minimum punishment for driving while impaired without causing injury is $600 with a one-year driving suspension, although much stiffer penalties are common.

Mr. Somner is a former student of Warwick Academy and Albert College in Belleville, Ontario.