A Framingham State University student died early Monday in a single-car crash on Route 9 in Natick, police said.
Natick Police did not identify the victim of the 1:11 a.m. crash on Monday, Feb. 9. But Framingham State University, in an email from President Nancy Niemi to students, identified the victim as Wilmani Josiah Castillo, 22, a junior at FSU.
“Wilmani was a junior Business Management major, a first-generation college student, and a resident student here at Framingham State,” Niemi wrote in the email. “He was a valued member of our campus community, and his loss is deeply felt by all who knew him — his family, friends, classmates, faculty and staff.”
Natick Police Deputy Police Chief Brian Lauzon said the Attleboro man was driving westbound on Route 9 (Worcester Street) when, for a still unknown reason, the Honda went off the road, over a snowbank and into a utility pole.
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Lauzon said there were no other vehicles involved and no one else was in the vehicle that crashed.
“There was extensive damage, major,” the deputy chief said. “The driver was taken to (MetroWest Medical Center) where he succumbed to his injuries.”
A portion of Route 9 was closed for about four hours, Lauzon said.
The cause of the crash is being investigated by the Natick Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police, he added.
In her email to students, Niemi said counseling and support services were available on campus.
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“As a community, we mourn together and hold Wilmani’s loved ones in our thoughts during this impossibly difficult time,” Niemi wrote. “I ask that we take care of one another, extend compassion, and lean on the support systems available to us.”
Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date public safety news, follow him on X @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerJouranlist.

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