Massapequa man in Rhode Island crash improves

The condition of a Massapequa college student who was seriously injured after he crashed into a wall near his Rhode Island school has improved, a hospital spokeswoman said Friday.

Driver Michael Canning, 19, one of the four sophomores injured in the single-vehicle crash, has been upgraded from critical to serious condition, Ellen Slingsby, a spokeswoman for Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, said Friday morning.

Canning has broken ribs and internal bleeding. His three passengers - Christopher Wands of Port Washington; Christopher Connors of Garden City; and Ian Cadzin of East Rockaway - are listed in fair condition. All of the men are 19.

Wands has two broken legs and Connors has a broken pelvis and leg. Cadzin has a broken leg.

Canning crashed his sport utility vehicle Thursday into a wall near the front gate of the famed Breakers mansion, just off campus from Salve Regina University in Newport, R.I.

Newport Police Lt. William Fitzgerald said Friday it appears that speed was a factor in the 1:38 a.m. accident.

"They weren't going 10 mph, we know that," Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald said police were still investigating, but they could not interview the injured students Thursday because they were in surgery.

"We're going to try to do that today," he said.

Fitzgerald said the air bags in the red Hyundai SUV deployed, but none of the four was wearing seat belts.

University spokeswoman Kristine Hendrickson said a vigil is being held for the students Friday at 8 p.m. at the campus chapel.