URI remembers woman killed in crash

KINGSTON, R.I. (WPRI) -- The University of Rhode Island held an event Thursday night to celebrate the life of a URI graduate and employee who was killed in a three-car crash on Rt. 4 in September. Sullynette Sanchez, 23, was nine months pregnant.

The event was held at the Kingston campus's Memorial Union Ballroom on Lower College Road.

Guest speakers and performers paid tribute, and there was an open mic for remembrances. Bracelets and balloons were sold to support Sanchez's family to help pay for funeral expenses.

"It's a taxing situation. They're burying 2 people, not just one now. We're trying to raise as much money as we can to support the family in any way we possibly can", said Michelle Fontes-Barros, Coordinator of Diversity Services at U.R.I.

• Related: Donate to Sanchez Family

Sullynette's baby boy, named Daryel, had been in critical condition at Women and Infants Hospital, until this past Tuesday, when sources told Eyewitness News he had died.

The young woman graduated from URI last year, with a bachelor's degree in psychology. She worked in the admissions office.

State police are still investigating the cause of the crash.