4 Rhode Islanders killed, 1 seriously injured in Connecticut crash

THOMPSON, Conn. (WLNE) — Police said four people are dead and one person is seriously injured after a crash in Thompson, Connecticut, on Monday.

The crash happened just after 5 p.m. in the area of Quaddick Town Farm Road.

Connecticut State Police said a Honda Civic was traveling southbound when the driver lost control of the car and hit a tree.

The cause of the fatal accident is under investigation. Police said they do not know if anyone in the vehicle was under the influence at the time, or if there was anything on the road that caused the crash.

Accident reconstruction squads were remapping the scene Tuesday afternoon to determine what caused the crash.

“Be able to examine angles of the roadway, whether there was a curve that may have factored into this. They’ll be able to look into every aspect relative to what could have been a contributing factor to the crash,” said Sgt. Dawn Pagan with Connecticut State Police.

The driver, identified as 18-year-old Johan Santana of Providence, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Three passengers in that car: 21-year-old Jaslin Perez, 21-year-old Erika Perez, and 21-year-old Lixandra Terrero Almonte were also killed in the crash. All three were from Rhode Island.

Reyniel Alfonso Lopez, 21 of East Providence, was also taken to Rhode Island Hospital, where he’s in critical condition.

The driver and passengers were not wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash, state police said.

The crash was one of five fatal crashes over the holiday weekend in Connecticut Memorial Day weekend, known as the unofficial start of summer, making it a dangerous holiday weekend for police. Pagan urged all drivers to be careful on the roadways.

“Please make responsible choices. The smallest details: buckle up, slow down, move over, ditch those distractions,” Pagan said. 

Thompson borders Burrillville.