One of the four people who was killed in a wrong-way crash on the Merritt Parkway in Stratford last week was a Fairfield University student who was driving home to Massachusetts for the summer, according to officials.
The crash happened around 1:43 a.m. Thursday when the driver of a Honda CRV who was going north in the southbound lane collided with a Chrysler Town & Country minivan and the Honda caught fire, state police said.
The driver of the Chrysler, 55-year-old Steven Rowland, of Easton, and two passengers in the vehicle, 80-year-old Thomas Lucian Vitale, of Easton and 81-year-old Olga Vitale, of Easton, died at the scene, state police said.
Last week, state police said the identity of the driver of the Honda that was going the wrong way was pending an autopsy.
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On Tuesday, they identified him as Alexander Dennis, 21, of Wayland, Massachusetts.
Fairfield University said Dennis was traveling home to Massachusetts for the summer when the crash occurred.
He was a student in the College of Arts and Sciences, where he was a visual and performing arts major with a special interest in film, according to Fairfield University.
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"At a time of year when we are actively engaged in the celebration of our students and their accomplishments, a loss like this seems inconceivable. Those who knew and loved Alex will be especially impacted by his passing, and his loss will be felt across campus. Our Jesuit colleagues are available to our community, as are staff members from Campus Ministry and the Counseling Center. For employees, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) may also be a helpful resource at this time." Fairfield University President Mark R. Nemec said in a Facebook post.
The university will gather to celebrate Alex’s life in the fall when students return to campus.
State police are investigating the crash.
The state has been installing technology in an effort to prevent wrong-way crashes on the state's highways.
In 2022, there were 13 wrong-way crashes that resulted in 23 deaths, according to the state Department of Transportation. In 2023, seven people were killed in wrong-way crashes.
This year, 11 people have been killed in wrong-way crashes.
