GALLOWAY, NJ — A New Jersey man who became an advocate for families of first responders on September 11 after the death of his son, an NYPD officer, was struck and killed by an SUV in a hospital parking lot, police said Sunday.
Joseph Zadroga, 76, of Little Egg Harbor, was the father of Detective James Zadroga, who died in 2006 from a respiratory illness that his family believed was related to time he spent at Ground Zero.
Its namesake James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 provides federal health benefits to first responders who fell ill after the 2001 attacks.
Police say the elder Zadroga was beaten Saturday afternoon in the parking lot of a hospital in Galloway.
Zadroga was standing next to his car when another driver trying to pull into a parking space near him accelerated and struck Zadroga with his SUV, pinning him underneath, according to a Galloway police statement posted on Facebook on Sunday.
Zadroga was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police are still investigating the crash, which involved an 82-year-old driver. No immediate charges were announced.
News of Zadroga’s death quickly resonated among September 11 survivors and advocates.
“To the 9/11 community. We just learned that Joe Zadroga has passed away. Joe was the father of Det James Zadroga NYPS, the hero for whom our legislation is named,” John Feal, another prominent advocate, wrote in a post on Facebook. “Although we do not have all the details and will not speculate, we will wait for all the details. We express our condolences and mourn with the Zadroga family.”