A regionally well-known and very popular volunteer Firefighter Paramedic who was walking to his house after a Halloween event at the firehouse was struck and killed by a vehicle in Salem (north of New London, Connecticut) on Sunday night.
Firefighter Willis Sands, 69 was walking across the street to his house when a vehicle going north on Route 354 struck him around 7 p.m. He later died of his injuries.
Sands was coming from a Halloween Trunk-or-Treat event that was being held at the Gardner Lake Volunteer Fire Company, where Sands was a member. The driver of the vehicle involved in the collision was taken to Backus Hospital for an evaluation. No one else inside of the vehicle was injured. Authorities described the road the collision happened on as being dark with no auxiliary lighting and no marked crosswalks.
FF Sands was a well-known and beloved Firefighter Paramedic in the NYC, Long Island, Westchester County, and Connecticut area with decades of fire and emergency medical service. Our condolences to all those affected. Rest In Peace.