Witness describes wrong-way crash that killed 2 Bryant University students, another man
LINCOLN, R.I (WJAR) — Two Bryant University students were killed in a wrong-way crash on Route 146 in Lincoln early Sunday morning.
"A vehicle went by me so fast that it was insane. And I told my wife, 'He's gonna kill somebody.' And as I looked in the mirror, I saw the fireball," said Raymond D'Alessio, who witnessed the crash.
D'Alessio, who owns an auto collision center in Central Falls, was driving with his wife when they passed a pickup truck headed southbound on the north route.
"I knew the car behind me was done," he said. "I just knew it."
The truck struck a vehicle, killing both occupants. They were Bryant University students Jaylin Rainford and David Okonkwo.
Denis Aguilar Campos, 41, who was driving the truck, also died at the scene.
"I knew as soon as I got there, being in my line of work, that there's no way somebody survived from that," said D'Alessio, who turned around and returned to the scene.
Rainford and Okonkwo were athletes and involved students at Bryant.
"He was one of those kids who just brought people together and lifted up the people around him, just by virtue of the way he approached daily life," said Rob Scaro, Okonkwo's high school basketball coach at Lexington Christian Academy.
Okonkwo was involved in the Multicultural Student Union at Bryant and was president of Shades of Strength.
"He was kind. He was a... teammate first," said Rainford's high school soccer coach John Finn. "Polite, courteous and cared for people around him."
Rainford played soccer at Catholic Memorial. He competed on the track team and served as a residential assistant at Bryant.
Bryant University is providing counseling services for students and staff affected by the tragedy.
