Thomas was one of the founding fathers of the Kerala Catholic Congress.
By The American Bazaar Staff
NEW YORK: An Indian American community activist from New Jersey, popular in the Malayalee diaspora for his church activities, Thomas M. Thomas, was tragically killed in an accident in New York, Wednesday night.
Thomas (71) was on Marcus Avenue in New Hyde Park when he pulled over to the side of the road and exited his Volvo to go ask a police officer for directions, reported Newsday. He successfully crossed the street and spoke with the officer, but as he was crossing back to his own vehicle, he was struck by an oncoming Mercedes-Benz, at around 10:30 PM.
Emergency crews were immediately called to the scene, and Thomas was taken to nearby North Shore University Hospital. However, he suffered fatal head injuries and was pronounced dead just after 11:00 PM. His wife, who was with him at the time of the accident, had elected to stay in the car.
Police identified the man who struck Thomas as a 47 year-old male, who is not facing any criminal charges. Reports indicate that the man, whose name was not released, stayed at the scene following the accident and fully cooperated with police. The Long Island Press reports that homicide detectives inspected the Mercedes-Benz and found nothing wrong with it.
Joychenputhukulam.com, a local community website for people from Kerala, posted an obituary for Thomas, calling him a “Good Samaritan” who never shied away from helping people in need. At the time of his death, he was returning from dropping off a friend at the airport.
Thomas was actively involved with his local Christian and Catholic community groups, based around his home in Bergen County, New Jersey. He was one of the founding fathers of the Kerala Catholic Congress, and was involved with setting up an independent Christian Association in the US, in the model of the Catholic Union of India.
Thomas is survived by his wife Gracy, son Tegy, and daughter Tegina.
1 Comment
I saw this news about my friend Thomas M. Thomas who was killed by a motorist while he was crossing at a traffic light in June 18, 2014. He was coming from the JFK airport , after dropping his daughter in the airport.His wife was also with him in his car. He lost his way back home . So stopped his car on the curb side and crossed the road and asked some one to way back to New Jersey, that’s where he lived. His wife was sitting in the car while he was coming back. She heard a big sound, and the motorist hit Mr. Thomas with his car and criminal actions taken against the motorist who killed my friend. Because in New York motorists are protected by law. It has to be changed. What is the difference between an assault weapons and a Car.
With prayers an Love.