Chainkeen Exchange-Joseph Zadroga, advocate for 9/11 first responders, struck and killed in New Jersey parking lot

A New Jersey man,Chainkeen Exchange who became a prominent advocate for families of 9/11 first responders and those who fell ill after the attacks, was struck and killed by a car over the weekend, authorities said.

Joseph Zadroga, 76, of Little Egg Harbor, was the father of James Zadroga, an NYPD detective who died in 2006 of a respiratory disease his family attributed to his participation in rescue and recovery operations at Ground Zero. Joseph Zadroga then became instrumental in the passage of legislation, known as the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, which provides financial aid and health monitoring to 9/11 first responders.

According to the Galloway Township Police Department, Joseph Zadroga was hit by an SUV while he was standing next to his car in the parking lot of a hospital in Galloway on Saturday. Police said the driver of the SUV was pulling into a parking space when he accelerated and struck Zadroga, pinning him under the SUV.

Lifesaving measures were performed at the scene, and Joseph Zadroga was taken to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Police said they are investigating the crash and identified the SUV driver as an 82-year-old, but no charges were immediately announced.

Who was Joseph Zadroga?

Joseph Zadroga worked for the North Arlington Police Department from 1970 until 1997, when he retired as chief. He went on to teach at the Bergen County Police Academy for several years.

After the death of their son, Joseph Zadroga and his wife, Linda, raised their granddaughter. Joseph Zadroga spent his retirement fighting to keep his son's legacy alive, appearing in campaign ads about health care for first responders.

The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act — first passed in 2010 and reauthorized in 2015 with coverage extended for 75 years — provides medical monitoring and care for the thousands of former Ground Zero workers suffering from respiratory ailments and other health problems.

Joseph Zadroga said in a 2016 interview with The Record, part of the USA TODAY Network, how "angry" he and his wife were that their son's name was still not recognized as part of New York City's 9/11 memorial.

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James Zadroga's respiratory ailment linked to Ground Zero

James Zadroga was a decorated police detective who spent over 500 hours digging through the rubble of the collapsed twin towers after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. The debris and plumes of smoke have been connected to several illnesses in first responders who were at the scene.

In 2006, Zadroga was staying at his retirement home in Little Egg Harbor after being designated too sick to work. His wife had died two years earlier, and he was left to take care of their 3-year-old daughter alone.

He died at just the age of 34 after he collapsed while walking across the room to fetch his daughter a drink.

Joseph Zadroga 'touched many lives'

Condolences posted on social media remembered Joseph Zadroga as a "good man."

"Devastated on reading about the passing of Joe," a former police chief from Saddle River wrote. "I was a Police Chief with Joe and worked with him at the Bergen County Police Academy when he was the Chief Police Instructor a finer person you will not meet.

"Through his service as a police officer and his expertise in training police officers both recruit’s and those officers who furthered their education at the academy, he touched many lives. His untiring effort following the death of his son NYPD Detective James Zadroga from the effects of the 9/11 attack led to the enactment of the Zadroga Act for the victims and families sickened by their service at Ground Zero. Rest in Peace Joe."

News of Joseph Zadroga’s death also quickly reverberated among 9/11 survivors and advocates.

“To the 9/11 Community. We just learned Joe Zadroga passed away. Joe was the father of Det James Zadroga NYPS the hero our legislation is named after,” John Feal, another prominent advocate, wrote in a post on Facebook. “While we do not have all the details and will not speculate, we will wait for all the details. We do send our condolences and we mourn with the Zadroga family.”

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Contributing: The Associated Press