On Saturday, police said a New Jersey man who fought for sick first responders after the 9/11 attacks was struck and killed by an SUV in a medical center parking lot.
Joseph Zadroga, 76, of Little Egg Harbor, the father of NYPD Detective James Zadroga, who died of a respiratory illness in 2006, died of a respiratory illness related to his family's time at Ground Zero. I thought there was.
The James Zadroga 9/11 Health Coverage Act of 2010, which bears his name, established the World Trade Center Health Program, which provided federal health benefits to first responders who became ill after the 2001 attacks. did.
According to Galloway County Police, around 2 p.m., an 82-year-old man pulled his 2021 Nissan into a parking space and accidentally stepped on the gas pedal, causing Zadroga to stand outside his parked 2015 Hyundai. It is said that there was a collision. Zadroga ended up being crushed under the Nissan.
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Joseph Zadroga, father of former NYPD Detective James Zadroga, (fourth from left) at a press conference with Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) (left) and Representative Peter King (R-N.Y.) ) meets with Iraq and Afghanistan officials November 17, 2015, in Washington, DC, U.S. veterans speak in front of the U.S. Capitol in support of permanent reauthorization of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health Coverage Reauthorization Act expressed (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“Lifesaving measures were performed at the scene and Mr. Zadroga was transported to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center Mainland Division where he was later pronounced dead,” the Galloway County Sheriff's Office posted on Facebook Sunday.
No immediate charges have been announced, and the investigation into the accident remains ongoing.
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Joseph Zadroga speaks during a press conference where New York and New Jersey lawmakers introduce the 9/11 Victims Health Care Act at the Capitol on June 24, 2009 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
News of Zadroga's death immediately resonated among September 11 survivors and supporters.
“Dear 9/11 Community: We just learned that Joe Zadroga has passed away. Joe was the father of NYPS Detective James Zadroga, the hero for whom our bill is named.” , John Feal, another prominent advocate, wrote in a Facebook post. “We do not have all the details and we will not speculate, but we will wait for all the details. We extend our condolences and mourn with the Zadroga family.”
On September 11, 2001, Joseph Zadroga, the father of police officer James Zadroga, who died from health problems while working as a 9/11 first responder, files an agreement to extend James Zadroga's 9/11 health coverage. The law will remain in place for an additional 25 years until it expires in New York City on September 8, 2014. (Andrew Burton/Getty Images)
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The WTC Health Program was reauthorized in 2015 through 2090, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“I just want all the people out there, the victims who get sick, to get the medical care they deserve, because Jimmy… That's because I couldn't receive it.” The New York Post reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
