Frank Petillo Jr Obituary, Driver Who Struck UMASS Dartmouth Student In On-campus Death Was Fellow Student

Frank Petillo Jr Obituary, Driver Who Struck UMASS Dartmouth Student In On-campus Death Was Fellow Student

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III’s office released new information regarding the on-campus death of Frank Petillo Jr., a first-year bioengineering student at UMass Dartmouth.

Campus police responded to a call at around 5:30 p.m. on Thursday about a person on campus who was hit by a motor vehicle, later identified as a gray Honda Accord. Petillo, 19, was found on the ground in the roadway on Ring Road with significant injuries.

The driver, identified as a student, was near where Petillo was found.

First responders took him to St. Luke’s Hospital, where Petillo was pronounced dead, the district attorney’s office said.

Detectives with the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Bristol County District Attorney’s office are investigating, along with the state police CARS Unit. The investigation is ongoing.

For now, no further information will be released, Quinn’s office said.

After Petillo’s death, Chancellor Mark Fuller released a statement to the UMass Dartmouth community saying Petillo “will be sorely missed.”

“This has been a very difficult week for the Corsair community,” his statement read. “We feel a collective pain even if we do not personally know those who have passed. We sit in class together. We work together. We pass each other in the halls. We are often more connected than we realize. If you need support, please reach out to someone.”

The school will provide extra hours at its counseling center on Friday until 7 p.m., Fuller said

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