Somerset County authorities announce an ongoing investigation into a fatal motor vehicle crash.
According to police, on Wednesday, May 19 at 5:40 p.m., the Franklin Township Police Department received a 9-1-1 call reporting that a pedestrian was struck on South Middlebush Road near Old Vliet Road.
Police said upon arrival officers found Harishbha Patel, 38, of Franklin Park, unconscious and unresponsive on the roadway.
According to police, officers attempted to initiate life-saving measures until his care was turned over to EMS professionals. Mr. Patel was transported to a local area trauma center where he was pronounced deceased.
The factors that contributed to the crash are currently under investigation by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Collision Analysis Reconstruction Team and the Franklin Township Police Department’s Traffic Safety Bureau.
The preliminary investigation revealed a 2010 Toyota Corolla that was operated by a 40-year-old Franklin Township resident was traveling southbound on South Middlebush when the driver suffered a medical emergency.
Subsequently, the vehicle struck Mr. Patel who was walking on the shoulder of the roadway. The driver of the vehicle was transported to a local area hospital for treatment.