Prominent Member of Indian American Community Killed When His Car was Hit by a Freight Train
- Jaswant Mody, 83, who died in Piscataway, N.J. on July 4, was a past president of the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA).
Jaswant Mody, a prominent member of the Indian American community in the Tristate area, died on July 4 when his car collided with a freight train in Piscataway, New Jersey. He was 83.
According to social media posts by the South Plainfield Volunteer Fire Department, the incident occurred at 2:20 pm on July 4 at the railroad crossing on New Brunswick Avenue near New Market Avenue. “The impact caused the car to roll onto its roof and catch fire,” the post said.
A past president of the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA), Mody was a resident of Blawenburg, New Jersey. He is survived by his wife Chandrika and children Neil and Dr. Lena. Mody retired from the City of New York and was involved with many community organizations.
Dharmatma Saran, chair of India Festival Committee, first posted about the tragedy on Facebook, writing: “Always willing to help, Jaswant bhai will be greatly missed. A great loss to the community and a personal loss to me. A long-time friend and associate, Jaswant bhai was a very valuable member of the IFC family in charge of public relations.”
New Jersey State Sen. Vin Gopal wrote: “A good and decent man who was kind to everyone he met. Rest in Peace Jay Mody. Thank you for the love, friendship, and positivity you spread to so many.”
New Jersey Assemblymember Joseph Danielsen, in a Facebook post, wrote: “I am so saddened by the news of the passing of my uncle Jaswant (Jay) Mody. He was such a pleasant man who always stood to help others. When Uncle Jay Mody arrived to help – he was there 100%. I’ll miss you my friend. May your soul remain at rest and your family hold peace.”