Some tragic news out of New Jersey, where an emergency medical technician, on her last day on the job, was killed when her ambulance got into a fatal accident Saturday morning while responding to a routine call.
On her last shift as EMT, woman killed in ambulance responding to call
22-year-old Hinal Patel and her partner were in their ambulance, responding to a mutual aid request in East Brunswick. It was supposed to be one of one her final calls, on her last day of work as an EMT. Patel, a recent graduate of Rutgers University, was scheduled to start graduate school next month.
According to a police news release, the ambulance had its emergency lights and sirens activated and was crossing an intersection when it was struck by another car. The ambulance overturned and slid into another car. Patel, who was riding in the front passenger seat, was killed.
On Saturday, July 25, 2015 at approximately 7:57 AM, East Brunswick Police Units were dispatched to a serious motor vehicle accident at the intersection of Cranbury Road and Ryders Lane. Mark C. Seube of Hamilton, NJ was operating a Spotswood ambulance on Ryders Lane near Cranbury Road. Hinal Patel of Piscataway, NJ was the front seat passenger. Both Mark Seube and Hinal Patel are EMTs with Spotswood EMS. The EMTs were responding to assist East Brunswick Rescue Squad as mutual aid at a motor vehicle crash with injuries in East Brunswick Township. Initial investigation revealed the ambulance, a 2008 Ford van, was traveling west on Ryders Lane at intersection with Cranbury Road. The vehicle had its emergency lights and sirens activated. The ambulance proceeded through the intersection and was struck by a 2013 Toyota Prius traveling south on Cranbury Road operated by Kathleen Meade of East Brunswick, NJ. The ambulance overturned and slid into a 2011 Subaru Legacy that was stopped on Ryders Lane in the east bound lanes operated by Kristen Fahrman of East Brunswick, NJ. The ambulance passenger, Hinal Patel, was killed as a result of the collision.
Both drivers, Mark Seube of the Spotswood EMS and Kathleen Meade were transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.Kathleen Meade did not sustain any injuries as a result of the accident.
Patel graduated with a degree in biological sciences and was enrolling in Rutgers' Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. According to loved ones, she had a passion for medicine, had served as an EMT for several years, and was thinking about attending medical school.
Rest in peace.
The crash is currently under investigation by the East Brunswick Police Department. Anyone with information regarding the investigation can contact the Special Operations Section at 732-390-6969.
More here: Police: EMT Killed After Car Slams Into Ambulance In East Brunswick