New York Fire Dept. Employee Held on $1 Million Bond Over Indian American Student’s Death

An American fire department employee was held on a bail of $1 million in a case pertaining to the death of Indian American dental student Taranjit Parmar in New York.

Daniel Coppolo, 31, a Fire Department New York (FDNY) emergency medical technician (EMT), was arrested for manslaughter and other charges on Dec. 23 in the hit-and-run case that took place on Nov. 9. He was suspended by FDNY without pay. He had been on medical leave from FDNY for several months.

Before Coppolo’s arrest, Ranjit Parmar, the victim’s father, said, “Please, turn yourself in, call the police,” CBS News New York reported. “At that moment, maybe you lost your mind because you got scared. But what about the next day? Why aren’t you coming in and taking responsibility?”

Taranjit, 18, was allegedly run over by Coppola, a resident of Deer Park, at a Levittown gas station. She was on her way home when Coppolo, 31, hit the passenger side of her 2018 Jeep with his pickup truck while he was turning Gardiners Ave. onto Hempstead Turnpike, the police said.

The two stopped at a nearby gas station to survey the damage to the car. While Taranjit got down to look at the damage, she also called her mother to inform her about what had happened. Meanwhile, Coppola sped and made an escape.

Daniel Coppolo

Taranjit, who was holding the door to Coppolo’s car, was dragged several feet before being run over by his car’s rear tire on the passenger side.

Coppolo is also charged with leaving the scene of an accident, tampering with physical evidence and reckless endangerment.

His lawyer said that there was no credible evidence that Coppolo was driving the car that killed Taranjit. He has a history of mental illness. He was arrested in relation with Taranjit’s death while he was being released on $2,500 bail in an unrelated robbery on Dec. 23.

Taranjit, a student of Adelphi University, sustained head and chest trauma. She was declared dead at the hospital.

“She bore all the responsibility to carry the family, carry her education. I always told everybody who would listen to me, if you’re going to have a daughter, this is the one,” Ranjit Parmar told Pix 11.