'Long, Treacherous Journey Ahead' For CT Family Devastated By Crash

WOLCOTT, CT — The community is coming to the aid of a family following a crash that left one teen dead and another critically injured in Wolcott.

The accident occurred Saturday shortly after 10 p.m. at 734 Spindle Hill Road. Police received a report that a vehicle had gone off the road and struck a tree, and that the car was also on fire.

Two people were outside the vehicle and told the officers that there were still three more people inside the burning vehicle, police said.

Firefighters extinguished the flames but two people in the front of the vehicle were trapped inside and had to be extracted, police said. There were also three teens in the back seats who suffered injuries and were transported via ambulance to local hospitals, according to police.

A fundraiser to benefit the family was started by Jenna Dillon, who said her brother Jamie "was notified that his two sons were in a very tragic...car accident." She said it was a parent's "worst nightmare come to life."

Jenna Dillon wrote in the GoFundMe that Jamie's oldest son Alexander, 18, was the driver, and his younger son, Anthony, 17, was the front seat passenger.

Alexander was declared dead at the scene of the crash. Anthony was airlifted by LifeStar to Hartford Hospital where he underwent surgery and is still in critical condition in the ICU. Jenna Dillon wrote that he is "fighting for his life."

"I am asking for everybody’s help with funeral expenses for Alexander as he had no life insurance as well as for help with medical expenses for Anthony," she wrote. "It’s gonna be a long and treacherous journey ahead for all of us. If you can please keep us in your prayers and help in any way. On behalf of the entire Dillon family it will be greatly appreciated."

As of Tuesday morning, the fundraiser had generated $21,381 of a $35,000 target on 298 donations.

You can view the GoFundMe here.

Wolcott Superintendent of Schools Shawn Simpson said in a statement, as reported by WFSB 3 TV, that two of the injured people in the vehicle are current high school students and all five teens have ties to the school district.

"Our sincere condolences and thoughts go out to those involved, their family, friends and the first responders," Simpson said, via WFSB 3 TV.

The crash is under investigation.