Friends Say Man Killed In Route 20 Crash Was 'Gentle Giant'

WORCESTER, MA — Friends of the man who died after a head-on collision along Route 20 in Auburn last Thursday say the 34-year-old was a "gentle giant" who was months away from marrying his fiancé.

Keith Arsenault was out running errands on Feb. 27 when he was hit head-on by Dennis Maccarone, 30, of Westminster. Maccarone was driving a pickup truck and had just been cited for speeding minutes before the deadly crash.

Arsenault died Sunday at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, which is also where he worked as a mental health associate. His fiancé, Laura Knight, is an emergency room nurse at Milford Hospital.

"Those who knew him described him as dedicated, reliable, compassionate, 'a gentle giant,'" friends wrote on a GoFundMe page.

Aresenault and Knight were set to be married in January 2021. They were waiting to start a family while Knight worked toward her doctorate degree.

"Keith would never shy away from expressing his love and support for Laura. We would love to ease any potential financial stressors for Laura and allow her to continue to pursue the dreams they shared without any excessive financial burden," the fundraiser page says.

The fundraiser is seeking $25,000 to pay for a memorial for Arsenault. The fundraiser was just under $5,000 as of Thursday morning.

According to Auburn police, Maccarone was driving eastbound along Route 20 near the Worcester line when he crossed into the westbound lanes and hit Arsenault's Subaru. He was charged on Tuesday with motor vehicle homicide.