By Brent Curtis
Staff Writer

Rutland Police identified the driver involved in a fatal crash that killed a Rutland High School student Wednesday night as 23-year-old Alex Spanos.

Spanos, who remained hospitalized Thursday at Rutland Regional Medical Center with injuries that are not life threatening, is the focus of a criminal investigation being conducted by city police.

No charges have been brought yet against Spanos, who witnesses say drove a 2004 Toyota Camry into a row of parked cars outside the Rutland Discount Foods and Liquidation Center on Cleveland Avenue just after 6 p.m.

But city police Lt. Kevin Geno said Thursday police have applied for an emergency search warrant to test Spano’s blood for alcohol and drugs. Geno also said police found evidence of drug and alcohol use at the scene - cans of beer and Dust-Off, which is an aerosol cleaner – were “hidden” in bushes near the crash site by the car’s occupants. Aerosols like Dust-Off can be “huffed” to get high, the lieutenant said.

Carly Ferro died at the hospital Wednesday night from injuries in the crash. The Rutland High School senior and accomplished varsity golfer had just left the discount food store and was trying to get into the passenger’s side of her father’s parked car when the Camry slammed into the driver’s side of the vehicle.

Ron Ferro’s car and two other parked vehicles were shoved more than 100 feet by the impact, which trapped Ron Ferro in the wreckage for more than 45 minutes. Ron Ferro was taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life threatening, as were two passengers in the car Spanos was driving.

Those passengers, 27-year-old Michael Longely and 43-year-old Eva Lebo, are not part of the criminal investigation focused on Spanos, Geno said.