FRANKLIN — Candles, flowers, and gifts lined the curb on a short stretch of Grove Street, where people gathered Thursday evening to remember a mother and her young daughter who died after their car was struck by an alleged drunk driver on Memorial Day weekend.
It was the same spot where the Patel family’s car was struck head on by an alleged drunk driver while heading to a birthday celebration on May 24.
Minaben Patel and 5-year-old Krisha were rushed to a hospital. The child died at the hospital, and her mother, nine days later, officials said.
“Everybody’s in pain,” said Kirankumar Patel, 45, of Franklin, a relative of the victims. “Everybody is just praying to God for the family, that they can come back with happiness. You know, they can move past the loss.”
“And this means a lot for the family,” he continued. “To have the whole community here, to create support for them, the son and the father. … We’re going to support them however we can.”
Patel’s husband and 14-year-old son were injured in the crash. The husband was treated and released. Her son was hospitalized, and used a wheelchair to attend the vigil.
The driver , 21-year-old James N. Blanchard V, allegedly had a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal driving limit at the time of the crash. He was arraigned last week on several charges, including motor vehicle homicide while drunk and two counts of causing serious bodily injury while drunk. He was ordered held on $250,000 bail.
“My daughter sits next to [Krisha] in class,” said Logesh Chokkalingam, 43. “She cried for hours, she still wakes up crying in the middle of the night. … She keeps waking up and asking us if she’s safe with God, you know, because that’s what we’re telling her.”
Many offered prayers at the makeshift memorial, which stood on a narrow traffic island separating Grove Street from a shopping plaza. Bouquets, stuffed animals, and toys surrounded two white crosses and a small sign that read, “Rest in Peace, Sweet Angel.”
At one point, a man knelt to relight a cluster of prayer candles. Hundreds of smaller flames lined the curb.
Mitul Patel, 40, of Worcester, described the family as “great people.”
“We are all in the same community … and we all feel it, you know,” he added. “That’s why we are here. Everybody is feeling this pain, not only Atul [Minaben’s husband], him and his son. We all feel it. That’s why we are showing all this support.”
Manish Patel, 51, nodded beside him. “We came from all corners of Massachusetts,” he said. “From here, to Boston, to Brockton” (he gestured to himself). “‘Patel’ is a huge community. We aren’t all directly related, but we’re friends, family.”
“Hopefully God gives [the family] the strength to survive this,” said Mitul Patel. “To get through this pain.”
