VIRGINIA BEACH

Police say charges are pending against the 29-year-old motorcycle driver who slammed into the back of a car early Sunday morning, causing himself life-threatening injuries.

The rider was listed in critical condition at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.

Police received a call at around 4:50 a.m. about an accident at the intersection of Lavender Lane and Longfellow Avenue, said police spokesman Wayne Gilbert.

A 1998 Toyota Corolla traveling west on Lavender Lane was making a righthand turn onto Longfellow Avenue when the motorcycle, a 2008 Eagle motor scooter,  also traveling west on Lavender, crashed into the rear of the car, Gilbert said. The Eagle is considered a motorcycle because it has a 150 cc engine.

When crews arrived, they found the rider suffering from serious injuries. He was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, Gilbert said.  Investigators say driver inexperience and alcohol were both a factor in the accident, he said.

Gilbert said charges of driving under the influence, driving with a revoked operator's license, and failure to wear a motorcycle helmet are pending.