GROTON, Conn. — Following a deadly and fiery crash on the Southbound side of the Gold Star Bridge in Groton on Friday, Connecticut Department of Transportation workers have declared that the bridge is safe to drive on.
"We would not have opened the Gold Star Bridge if it was unsafe if there was any risk," said Josh Morgan, Spokesperson for the CT DOT.
In a police report, State Police said the driver of a Toyota Avalon was traveling south on I-95 when they got a flat tire and lost control of the car, ultimately coming to a stop in the right acceleration lane for the Bridge St. entrance ramp. Behind the car, was a Kenworth T300, carrying home heating oil. The fuel tanker ran into the back of the Toyota, flipped over, and lit up in flames.
The driver of the truck, Wallace Fauquet III, was pronounced dead on the scene. The people in the Toyota were rescued by off-duty New London Police Lieutenant, Cornelius Rodgers, along with other good Samaritans.
Hours after the crash, DOT workers inspected the bridge, opening two lanes of traffic on the left side by the evening. On Saturday, they opened up two more, including one lane for the on-ramp to get onto I-95 from Bridge St. in Groton.
Once inspectors got under the bridge, they could see that the paint was not compromised by the fire.
"There's paint covering the structure. That paint system did not fail. That was our first clue when we went under the bridge, that this fire did not burn hot enough, it did not burn long enough to have any impact on the structural integrity of the Gold Star Bridge," Morgan said. "They didn't just rely on that though, they went up with their tools, their special measurements, making sure that there was no buckling, no pitting, that everything was still straight and aligned."
There was, however, damage to the 600 feet of aluminum fencing near the pedestrian walkway. There was also damage to the pavement. Morgan said they put up a temporary chain link fence, and are working on the other repairs as they figure out a permanent fix.
"We know that that bike and pedestrian crossing is a critical link for people to get across the river. So, we're going to do what we can to get it open as quickly as we can. But we want to make sure that we do it safely and do it effectively," Morgan said.
While this crash ended in deadly circumstances on the largest bridge in the state, Morgan said the work completed afterward is not unusual for the DOT.
"This is standard procedure for the DOT. Any time that there is a crash on our bridges, regardless of the severity, we close it, we inspect it, and only when it's determined to be safe, we'll reopen it. So that's what we followed to a T on Friday night on the gold star bridge," Morgan said.
In the meantime, fuel from the truck leaked through the pipes of the bridge, causing secondary brush fires beneath it. That's where Groton and it's first responders, as well as other surrounding departments came in.
"The walkway from the City of Groton to the City of New London is closed, and the reason that is, is because there's no fence up there to protect anyone from falling over or jumping," said Keith Hedrick, Mayor of the City of Groton.
Hedrick said they've gotten several calls and questions about when the pedestrian bridge will be open to walkers.
"We're working with SEAT (Southeast Area Transit) to come up with a commuter transit plan in order to get people back and forth with bicycles and things like that, that would normally use that pedestrian bridge," Hedrick said.
Hedrick said there are also talks now, about what to do if the Gold Star Bridge has to be shut down in the future.
"One of the big things that people are going to be talking about now is, what do you do if one of the spans of the bridge is no longer operable," Hedrick said.
In the meantime, just as the community came together on Friday, they're now coming together for Fauquet's family, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for them.
On a gofundme page, Fauquet's sister-in-law wrote that Fauquet was:
"A doting, devoted, and loving husband to his wife Elaine, his soulmate. His kids were everything to him and he worked hard to provide for them. He leaves behind his adult son, adult daughter, a 15 year old son, and a 12 year old son. They lost Wally in a tragic accident on the Gold Star Bridge yesterday and they need help covering costs for the funeral, time out of work, bills, etc. as he was the main provider for his family. Wally was a hard-working, caring, charismatic, family man. He truly made the world a better place and helped everyone. He would have done anything for anyone. His family is devastated by his loss. If you can't donate, please share or leave a kind message or memory of Wally for my sister and his kids to read. Thank you so much."
-Desiree Mills
Fauquet's former employer, Mccarthy Heating Oil Service Inc., is also responding saying:
"There are no words to express our sorrow for the loss of a wonderful friend and loyal employee. "Wally" will be greatly missed. His energy and enthusiasm was infectious. Our love and prayers go out to his lovely wife, Elaine and children. May he rest in peace. We want to thank all of our customers, friends, family, and everyone who has called to express their love and support at this difficult time.
Donations for the family would be welcomed at the office of McCarthy Heating Oil, 50 Route 32, Quaker Hill."
"This tragedy is bringing people together. And they need to know that they have community support," Hedrick said.
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