Local News

Mother of 5-year-old killed by alleged drunk driver also dies

The crash remains under investigation.

June 3, 2025

2 minutes to read

The mother of the 5-year-old killed by an alleged drunk driver last month in Franklin has died from injuries she sustained in the crash, authorities announced.

Minaben Patel, 38, of Franklin had been hospitalized since the May 24 crash.

“The Norfolk District Attorney’s Office and the Franklin Police Department are saddened by the loss to Minaben’s family and we extend our heartfelt condolences,” District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey and Franklin Police Chief Thomas J. Lynch said in a statement Tuesday.

Patel’s 5-year-old daughter, Krishna, died at a hospital following the crash. The girl’s 14-year-old brother was also hospitalized with severe injuries.

The DA’s office said there was no update as of Tuesday on the boy’s condition.

According to the report by Franklin police, the family, driven by their father Atulkumar Patel, was heading to Blackstone for the teen’s birthday when their car was struck by a pickup truck driving in their lane.

Franklin police responded to the report of the crash in the area of 76 Grove St. around 6:22 p.m. on May 24. At the scene, they found a pickup truck in the middle of the road and a sedan off the road. Krishna Patel and Minaben Patel were found by first responders on the ground next to the car.

The 5-year-old was medflighted to a hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. Minaben and her son were taken to UMass-Memorial Medical Center in critical condition.

The driver of the pickup truck, James Blanchard, 21, of Franklin, is facing multiple drunk driving charges in the crash. Police reported finding “handles” of vodka and beer in his truck, and he was allegedly slurring his speech at the scene of the crash.

Blanchard’s blood alcohol content test showed 0.189%, according to police. The legal limit in Massachusetts is 0.08%.

Blanchard pleaded not guilty to one count of motor vehicle homicide while driving under the influence, two counts of driving under the influence causing serious injury, one count of negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and one count of possessing an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle at his arraignment last month.

He was held on $250,000 cash bail and is set to return to court for a pretrial hearing on June 24.

The crash remains under investigation.