State police say the 29-year-old man who died in a three-car collision on the Merritt Parkway on Halloween hit a wooden guard rail after losing control of his car. His car was then struck by two other vehicles and then caught fire.

Amanda Barkin and Peter Matusiewicz were classmates at Westhill High School and started dating in college.

On Halloween, Matusiewicz was heading to his parent's house in Stamford after leaving work when he was killed in a car crash.

"His wallet was the only thing we were able to recover from the car, because it was in his back pocket," said Barkin.

Inside the wallet was a photo of the two of them from 2013.

Matusiewicz also leaves behind two parents who moved to Stamford from Poland to raise him and his sister.

As Barkin works through the grief, she says she'll always carry the lessons she learned from Peter.

"Just to find beauty and importance in everything. To take a second look at things, to read more, to be more curious and just to be more appreciative of everything," she said.