'It's A Very Hard Day;' Investigation Continues Into SHU Crash: UPDATE

FAIRFIELD, CT — Classes were canceled Friday morning at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, as the school grapples with the aftermath of a crash that seriously injured six people, including five students from the school.

A prayer service was held at the chapel on campus Friday morning for students, faculty and staff, and counselors have been made available, according to Gary MacNamara, Director of Public Safety at the university.

"It's a very hard day on the campus of Sacred Heart University today," MacNamara said during a news conference at Fairfield police headquarters. Before taking the Sacred Heart job, MacNamara served as Fairfield Police Chief from 2010 to 2018. "Not only for these students and their families, but other students who saw the crash, not witnessed it, but were there when the response occurred.

"We are a community. Having said that, Sacred Heart is a community within a community. We have received outreach from not only the Town of Fairfield but also the City of Bridgeport, and members of that greater community. I just want to thank all of them collectively. We will get through this, all of us will get through this together."

The crash occurred just after midnight on Jefferson Street near the university's Martire Family Arena.

According to Lieutenants Edward Nook and Michael Paris, a 2018 Audi, driven by a Sacred Heart student, was traveling westbound on Jefferson Street, when the driver appears to have lost control and hit a curb. The driver of the Audi was a male student, who was the only person in the car.

The Audi then veered into the eastbound lane and hit a 2021 Toyota Corolla, which contained a male Uber driver and four female students. After the collision, the Audi came to rest on its roof.

As of Friday morning, the Uber driver and one of the female students were in critical but stable condition at Bridgeport Hospital. Two other female students were also in stable condition at Bridgeport Hospital, while the Audi driver and the other female student were in critical condition at St. Vincent's Medical Center.

The exact ages of the victims were not immediately known, but Nook said that they were all in the 18-19 range. From where the victims hailed was not disclosed, but all five students were from out of state, Nook added.

Whether alcohol or narcotics played a role in the crash is not known; additionally, police are in the midst of determining the speed of the vehicles at the time, and whether that was a factor in the crash.

"Our deepest sympathies go out to the families, friends and classmates of the victims of this crash," said Fairfield Police Chief Robert Kalamaras. "My hope is that we can come together as a community, offering support and compassion to one another."

See also: Infant Suffered Life-Threatening Injuries, Father Charged: Police

"We are praying that all of the people in this accident will be Okay," said Fairfield First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick, adding that a licensed clinical counselor, who joined the police department about a year ago, has met with the victims' families at the hospital, and is offering support.

Additionally, university President Dr. John Petillo, and Dean of Students Denise Tiberio, have also met with the victims' families, according to MacNamara.

"I want to acknowledge the 911 dispatchers who handled [the calls], and the first responders who arrived at the scene," Kupchick said. "And I want to thank the Fairfield police officers who were first on the scene, who responded to this very, very sad accident."

The Fairfield police crash reconstruction team is actively investigating the collision.