A Connecticut State Police vehicle in a file photo. Authorities shut down a section of the Merritt Parkway in Westport Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, after a pedestrian was struck and killed by a motor vehicle, police and the DOT said.
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.
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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.
Police said Castelan-Flores was pronounced dead around 4:33 a.m. by the Westport Emergency Medical Services. State police officials said the agency's Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Squad is investigating the crash.
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The crash caused significant traffic delays along the busy highway, also known as Route 15, and nearby local roads. The state Department of Transportation reported the southbound lanes were fully reported around noon. 
Peter Yankowski is a breaking news reporter for Hearst Connecticut Media Group. He was previously a reporter for the Danbury News-Times and the Ridgefield Press.
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