horrific bike accident on Monday night.

The 17-year-old male received a deep gash to his head after his scooter was in collision with a taxi on Middle Road near Somerset Bridge at about 10 p.m.

His pillion passenger broke his leg in the smash. The driver of the taxi, a 64-year-old Sandys man, was unhurt in the collision.

The victim was rushed to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital where last night a spokesman said he was in stable condition in the ICU.

Police are now investigating the cause of the accident. They understand that the taxi was travelling east along Somerset Road and was intending to turn right into Robinson's Marina. The scooter was travelling in the opposite direction.

Anyone who may have witnessed the accident is asked to contact P.c. Wolde Maxwell at Somerset Police on 234-1010.

AUGUST CASE OPEN CTS BDA Augustus case open Young Sergio Augustus still has an open file at a Miami prosecutor's office concerning his arrest for drug importation.

The 17-year-old failed to show for arraignment on March 5 before Judge Jerald Bagley of Florida's 11 Judicial Circuit Court after being arrested at Miami International Airport in early January.

Augustus, of Crane Lane, Pembroke became ill and was arrested after allegedly excreting 242 pellets of cannabis weighing an estimated 435 grams.

He was originally charged and released in a juvenile court, but as the charges are third degree felonies in the US, he will be tried as an adult.

Judge Bagley issued an arrest warrant and yesterday a source in Miami said: "Until he is in this county, or his attorney makes certain arrangements, the case is open.'' A local Police spokeswoman told The Royal Gazette : "We have not received any requests for the extradition of Mr. Augustus.'' Efforts to contact Augustus's mother have been unsuccessful.

ISLAND READY FOR SPILL ENV Island ready for spill Bermuda is well equipped and ready for action should the Island ever have to deal with a major oil slick.

That is the verdict of environment bosses and outside inspectors following a day-long training programme at the Bermuda Biological Station yesterday.

Nearly 100 staff from Government departments and petroleum giants Esso and Shell spent the day at Ferry Reach learning how to operate clean-up equipment in readiness for a possible oil spill.

Lectures from some of the world's leading oil spill experts will also be given today and tomorrow as part of the project.

A full scale exercise making sure yesterday's lessons have been learned will be held on the Island in May.

MEADE IN COURT CTS Meade in court Former Solicitor General Barrie Meade is acting as a Magistrate in the juvenile and matrimonial division of the lower courts.

And a court official said the appointment is "indefinite at this time''.

Magistrates' Court administrator Tracy Kelly last week said Mr. Meade had started work on March 2.

Former Magistrate Cheryl Ann Mapp, 33, vacated the position at the end of February after seven years in the court system.

The closing date for applications for the $81,000-plus Magistrate job was February 25.

Senior civil servants "will be processing the applicants in due course'', Mr.

Kelly added.

DELTA FLIGHT GROUNDED FLY Delta flight grounded A Delta Airlines flight from Boston to Bermuda was grounded yesterday after it was discovered that the aircraft had a mechanical failure.

The plane, which had about 100 passengers on board, was due to touch down just after midday before flying on to Atlanta.