Two Bryant students, including one from Mass., killed in R.I. wrong-way crash during storm

Two Bryant University students, including one from Massachusetts, were among three people killed early Sunday in a fiery wrong-way crash in Lincoln, Rhode Island.

Rhode Island State Police said they began receiving 911 calls shortly before 12:30 a.m. reporting a vehicle traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of Route 146. Moments later, police received 911 calls for a crash involving the same vehicle on 146 north in Lincoln, according to a press release from the state police.

Investigators determined a Ford pickup truck, driven by 41-year-old Denis Aguilar Campos of Chelsea, Massachusetts, was traveling southbound in the northbound high-speed lane. Troopers said the pickup struck a northbound Chevrolet Tahoe near Route 116, according to the press release.

Both vehicles were engulfed in flames, police said.

Campos was pronounced dead at the scene, according to state police. The driver of the Tahoe, 20-year-old Jaylin Rainford of Randolph, Massachusetts, and a passenger in the Tahoe, 20-year-old Chiemelie Okonkwo of Lawrenceville, Georgia, were also pronounced dead at the scene. 

Bryant University identified Rainford and Okonkwo as two of the victims in a post on X Sunday night. 

“Our hearts are heavy as we grieve the tragic loss of two Bryant University students, Jaylin Rainford and David Okonkwo, both juniors and beloved members of the Bryant community,” Bryant wrote. 

The university added that, amid a significant winter storm and in light of the tragedy, all classes were canceled and administrative offices closed Monday to prioritize “care and support for one another.”

In an email to the Bryant community, President Ross Gittell wrote Rainford and Okonkwo were cherished across campus. 

Rainford was a member of the track and field team and served as a campus resident assistant. Okonkwo was deeply involved with the PwC Center and student organizations, including serving as Director of Black Enterprises for the Multicultural Student Union and as president of Shades of Strength, Gittell wrote. 

“Please keep Jaylin and David’s family, friends, classmates, and all Bryant community members who knew them in your thoughts during this sad time,” he added. 

Bryant Athletics also honored Rainford in an X post recognizing his contributions to the track team.

Route 146 north was closed for about four hours while crews responded to the scene, state police said. The crash remains under investigation.

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