Flags To Fly At Half-Staff For Fallen EMT From Middlesex County

Gov. Chris Christie has ordered flags at all state buildings to fly at half-staff Friday in remembrance of an EMT who was killed in a crash in East Brunswick.

The governor signed the executive order Thursday, “in recognition of the life and in mourning of the passing of Emergency Medical Technician Hinal Patel, a resident of Piscataway and a graduate of both Piscataway High School and Rutgers University.”

The 22-year-old was working as EMT in Spotswood, sitting in the passenger seat of an ambulance, when it was involved in a crash in East Brunswick Saturday.

The emergency workers from Spotswood had been on their way to help the East Brunswick Rescue Squad at the scene of another motor vehicle accident when the fatal crash occurred near the intersection of Cranbury Road and Ryders Lane.

“EMT Hinal Patel’s compassion for others and commitment to her community through providing care to those in need makes her a hero and a true role model for all New Jerseyans. It is with deep sadness that we mourn the loss of Hinal Patel, and extend our sincere sympathy to her family, friends, and fellow first responders,” Christie said in a prepared statement. “It is appropriate and fitting for the State of New Jersey to remember EMT Hinal Patel, to mark her passing, and to honor her memory.”