Alexander Dennis Wayland Obituary, Fairfield University student among 4 killed in wrong-way car crash in Conn: According to state police, a student from Fairfield University who was returning home for the summer holiday was the fourth person killed in a crash on the Merritt Parkway in Stratford last week. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner notified troopers on Tuesday that Alexander Dennis, 21, had died in a fiery, on-the-wrong-way collision last Thursday, as reported by Connecticut State Police.
Dennis’ injuries were so severe, according to state police, that they were unable to positively identify him right away after the incident, which happened early in the morning on the southbound side of the Merritt Parkway. In the collision, there were three more fatalities.
At the site, all four victims were declared deceased.
Just before Dennis’s 2016 Honda CR-V, which was being driven north in the southbound lanes, collided with a 2010 Chrysler Town & Country, which was traveling south in the right lane, state police stated they had gotten many reports of a driver driving the wrong way. The collision caused the Honda to catch fire. Fairfield University released a statement last week that said, “Alex had just finished his junior year here on campus and was traveling home to Massachusetts for the summer when the car accident occurred.”
State police have identified the driver of the minivan as 65-year-old Steven Rowland, and the passengers as 80-year-old Thomas Lucian Vitale and 81-year-old Olga Vitale, both of Easton. Officials from Fairfield University stated that when students return to campus in the autumn, they will have a celebration to honor Dennis’ life.
Investigations into the crash are still ongoing.