Friends remember Bryant University student killed in wrong-way crash
SMITHFIELD, R.I. (WJAR) — Friends who knew one of the two Bryant University students who police say were killed by a wrong-way driver over the weekend are remembering him.
David Okonkwo was a Junior at Bryant University. Before starting college at Bryant, he attended Lexington Christian Academy in Massachusetts.
"David was just a loving guy who wanted to make everyone laugh," said Mandela Jefferson Kiiza, one of Okonkwo's close friends at LCA.
Okonkwo's friends say he consistently brought smiles to people's faces and he was very involved in the school community at LCA.
"He's always putting himself out there, always caring, making people laugh," said another close friend, Geovane Meikle.
"He was always selfless, always made me laugh," said another close friend, Nathan Rubin. "I talked to David on the phone pretty much every other day for the past few years and there was just never a dull moment."
At Bryant University, Okonkwo was involved in the Multicultural Student Union at Bryant and was president of Shades of Strength.
Police say Okonkwo was on a drive with his friend, Jaylin Rainford, an accomplished athlete whose high school coach described as polite, courteous, and caring when a wrong-way driver hit their car on Route 146 in Lincoln. The crash happened shortly after midnight Sunday.
"To hear such news, you never want to hear that news ever," Kiiza said.
Police said they received multiple calls just before the crash about a wrong-way driver. They also said a wrong-way detection system sent out an alert, but there wasn't enough time to stop the wrong-way driver, Denis Campos, before the crash. Campos was also killed.
