Waterbury , CT : 23-year-old Louis Vasquez seriously injured bike crash at Cooke Street on Monday ,April 18th, 2016

An illegal dirt bike rider was seriously injured Monday afternoon after he was thrown of his bike and sent face first into a utility pole on Cooke Street.

Police were still investigating the crash on Monday, but suspect the bike was passing cars on the right and weaving in-and-out of traffic in the 200 block of the street just south of Pine Street. Police suspect 23-year-old Louis Vasquez was trying to

pass a Honda Accord in front of him, but was prevented from doing so due to oncoming traffic. He tried to pass the Honda on the right, but was diverted onto the sidewalk by a parked minivan. Vasquez is believed to have hit a mound of earth in front

of a home, then a low stone wall.

That collision sent Vasquez airborne into a utility pole face first at about 2 p.m. He was not wearing a helmet at the time, police said. Vasquez had been wearing some kind of face mask with a skull design on it before the crash. He was taken to St.

Mary's Hospital where he was listed in stable condition, but he was being treated for a significant brain bleed.

The red Honda dirt bike did not appear to have a license plate or blinkers. Several of the machines, and ATVs, have been spotted in recent weeks, including a pack of about a dozen that was driving on Chase Avenue. Two of the machines were

also spotted in Waterville Park over the weekend.

Dirt bikes are banned from riding on city streets or sidewalks. The Board of Aldermen also voted last year to improve seizure powers for police. Riders face at least a $500 fine for the first offense, but that penalty could reach up to $1,000. The fines

climb until the third offense, when they max out at $2,000.

The new ordinance also gives police the power to impound any illegal vehicles they find. Owners have to prove they own the banned vehicles and are on the hook for paying for storage.

Source :
UPDATED: Dirt bike rider seriously injured in Waterbury crash