WESTPORT — A New Haven man was fatally struck by an SUV on the Merritt Parkway early Monday morning after he earlier crashed into a roadside guardrail and exited his vehicle, state police said.
The Connecticut State Police identified the deceased individual in an accident report as Salvador Castelan-Flores, 50. Officials said an investigation into the man’s death is ongoing.
The fatal crash took place around 4:15 a.m. on the highway’s southbound lanes near Exit 21 — previously known as Exit 42 — while Castelan-Flores was standing on the left side of the road, the report shows.
Police said Castelan-Flores had exited his Chrysler Pacifica after the minivan became disabled in the left lane when it struck a wooden beam guardrail, leaving the vehicle perpendicular to the roadway.
The report shows Castelan-Flores was then struck by a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder that was traveling in the left lane. According to the report, the driver spotted the disabled van and attempted to veer right, but struck Castelan-Flores as he jumped in the same direction.