"Wally was a hard-working, caring, charismatic, family man," the fundraiser reads.
The driver of a fuel truck died in a fiery crash on a major bridge in Connecticut on April 21. He has been identified as Wallace Fauquet III, 42, of Stonington, a loving father of four kids. The commercial truck carrying heating oil, which he was driving, crashed into a sedan that came to a stop on the right acceleration lane on the Gold Star Memorial Bridge in Groton after one of its tires blew out, per Connecticut State Police (CSP). A large fire began a short time later and Wallace died of his injuries while the passengers in the Toyota were hurt but sustained non-life-threatening injuries, according to PEOPLE.
Desiree Mills, the sister-in-law of Fauquet said she started a GoFundMe for his wife and children. She described him as a doting, devoted, and loving husband to his "soulmate" and he worked hard to provide for his children. "His kids were everything to him," Mills wrote. He leaves behind his adult son, adult daughter, 15-year-old son, and 12-year-old son.
Conn․ State Police ID truck driver killed in fiery I-95 crash https://t.co/fuhb0Ca1cM
— EIN Presswire: Connecticut Newswire (@EINPresswireCT) April 22, 2023
"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," the fundraiser reads.
#Update: Wallace Fauquet III was identified as the victim of a fiery crash in Connecticut. His family shared a GoFundMe for help during their time of grieving.https://t.co/Yy2sC0tonq
— ABC6 News Desk (@ABC6) April 23, 2023
The fundraiser for Wallace has surpassed its $100,000 goal raising $168,084 at the time of this publication. The family is blown away by the love and support of the online community. Thanks to "donations, condolences, meal trains, or sharing the GoFundMe" Wallace's wife has been touched by everyone's kind gestures. "She has been reading all of these comments, along with her sons. She said this is the first time in her life that she's felt like a part of a community and it's an indescribable feeling. They are finding some comfort in knowing that so many people cared about Wally and recognize his heroism during this extreme tragedy. Everyone's support is going to allow his wife and her boys time to grieve and navigate their new normal going forward. Again, thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Truly," an update on the page added.
References:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/fundraiser-to-help-wallys-family
Cover Image Source: GoFundMe