Hundreds attend funeral of Spotswood EMT killed in ambulance crash

NORTH BRUNSWICK – In a rush to save someone's life, Hinal Patel tragically lost her own.

The 22-year-old emergency medical technician with Spotswood Emergency Medical Services was killed Saturday morning when the ambulance she was riding in was struck by a car in East Brunswick. No charges have been filed against any driver.

On Monday afternoon, Patel received a funeral befit of any emergency responder killed in the line of duty. Friends and colleagues remembered her as a brilliant, jovial young woman.

"I lost my heart. She was my baby," Patel's father, Ketan, said afterward.

More than 500 people — mostly EMTs and firefighters dressed in uniforms of white, navy or gray — poured into the Franklin Memorial Park in this township to pay their respects.

A procession of dozens of firetrucks and emergency vehicles from as distant as Monmouth, Morris and Hudson counties was led by a low-flying State Police helicopter, which buzzed up the memorial's roadway, before an honor guard escorted Patel's casket into the chapel.

Inside, the officious ceremony gave way to the Hindu traditions of Patel's family. Relatives took turns laying garlands of colorful flowers and stems of roses on Patel.

Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey and Sheriff Mildred "Millie" Scott paid their respects, as did an almost endless line of emergency responders from across Central Jersey.

The Middlesex County Police and Fire Pipes and Drums led the solemn march to the crematorium as tearful loved ones chanted in melodic unison.

Honors for Patel continue with a candlelight vigil 9 p.m. Tuesday at Spotswood Borough Hall.

The nonprofit U.S. Honor Flag will fly a flag for 22 hours in Spotswood to honor Patel. Honor guards will be posted with volunteers from as far as Seattle, Dallas and Chicago.

Patel grew up in Piscataway, where she volunteered for the North Stelton Volunteer Fire Co.'s rescue squad beginning in 2012.

She was working for Spotswood EMS and interning at Actavis in Elizabeth as she readied to start medical school in Newark this fall. She graduated from Rutgers University in May.

"She had her mind set on what she wanted to do in life, which was tragically cut too short," an emotional Spotswood Mayor Nicholas Poliseno said.

Piscataway Mayor Brian Wahler said it was "hard to make sense" of the tragedy.

"We know for sure that she was blessed and this blessing still lives in her family," he said. "She had accomplished much in her short time on Earth, and while she is no longer physically here with us, our memory of her will live on forever."

"Since Saturday, it's been really rough," said Brian Kenney, 23, a North Stelton fire captain and Patel's partner when she worked there.

"Every time you're on a call, it might be your last, because somebody is in a rush to get to an appointment and they think that's more important than saving a life," he said. "This is an extremely dangerous job and the majority of us do it for free. It's just heartbreaking to see this happen."

On Saturday morning, Patel was in an ambulance responding to assist the East Brunswick Rescue Squad at a serious car crash. Patel was riding in the front passenger seat with EMT Mark C. Seube, 24, of Hamilton, behind the wheel.

As the ambulance drove through the intersection of Ryders Lane and Cranbury Road, it was struck by a Toyota Prius driven by Kathleen Meade, 58, of East Brunswick. The ambulance overturned and slammed into a Subaru Legacy driven by Kristen Fahrman, 43, of East Brunswick. Seube and Meade suffered some injuries while Fahrman was not injured, officials said.

North Stelton EMT and firefighter Jerry Toto, 24, another former partner, hit it off with Patel from the start and fondly remembers her jokes and goofy pranks.

"Her smile was contagious," he said. "She had a big impact on my life."

Among the many mourners were longtime friends from Piscataway High School and elementary school, some wishing they had spent more time with her in recent years.

"It just doesn't feel real. I still feel like she's around. It's just not acceptable," said Krishna Patel, 21, who last saw Hinal Patel earlier this summer.

Cheeks still wet with tears, her friends laughed recalling their late-night runs to White Castle or diners, where Patel almost always would order a breakfast food.

Sometimes, while hanging out, Patel's phone would ring: an emergency somewhere.

"You could see she got really excited and that she loved what she wanted to do and was so passionate about it," her friend, Krupa Parikh, 21, said. "She would have made a great physician or whatever she set out to do."

Patel also is survived by her mother Darshna, brother Neel, paternal grandmother Sushila A. Patel and maternal grandparents Pushpaben and Chimanbhai Patel.

Services were handled by the Crabiel Home for Funerals in Milltown.

Staff Writer Sergio Bichao: 908-243-6615; sbichao@mycentraljersey.com