UPDATED: Memorial service scheduled for Norwich firefighter

Norwich – A memorial service for Norwich firefighter Benjamin De Mond will be held at 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Norwich Free Academy Alumni gym.

A memorial fund has also been established to benefit De Mond's two young children.

De Mond, 33, was killed late Friday and his children seriously injured in a crash on Interstate 395 in Montville, when Willis Goodale, 50, of Groton, allegedly attempted to drive his vehicle across the southbound lanes from the Mobil service station rest stop to use the emergency turnaround. Police have charged Goodale with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Contributions can be made to the De Mond Children's Fund, c/o Local 892, 10 North Thames St., Norwich CT 06360.

NFA will dismiss at the normal 2:15 p.m. time Tuesday, but all after-school activities have been canceled to accommodate the memorial service, NFA Director of Student Affairs John Iovino said. All faculty and staff have been instructed to leave campus at the end of the school day.

The Norwich Fire Department and the International Association of Firefighters, Local 892, are hosting the service, which is open to the public.

Crescent Street will be closed to traffic after school buses depart, and parking there will be reserved for the De Mond family. The Chelsea Parade green in front of the school will be used as a staging area for firetrucks and other official vehicles, Iovino said.

The public is invited to park on campus at whatever legal spaces are available.

"We're going to be as respectful as we can," Iovino said. "We're very honored to be able to do this. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family members and to the firefighters' families."