A Brooklyn grandfather fatally struck by a hit-and-run driver had overcome addiction to become a drug counselor who devoted his life to helping others in their struggles with substance abuse, the victim’s family told the Daily News.
The driver of the white sedan who cops say struck social worker Douglas Bradley in Sunset Park back on Dec. 21 was tracked down and arrested Thursday.
Medics rushed Bradley to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn, where he clung to life for neary two weeks before his family made the heartbreaking decision to take him off life support.
“He wouldn’t be able to eat, drink, talk, pee on his own,” the victim’s daughter, 27-year-old Nia Bradley, told The News. “We didn’t think it was any way for him to continue living. That’s not what he would have wanted.”
Douglas Bradley died Jan. 2. Among the mourners were the recovering addicts he helped throughout his career.
“A lot of the people that he helped recover came to his funeral,” the victim’s son, 41-year-old Douglas Bradley Jr., said. “That just attests to the kind of person he was and the kind of effect that he had on their life.”
Eric Rodríguez, 25, was arrested last week, nearly two months after the crash, for leaving the scene of a fatal accident. He was driving north on Fifth Ave. when he struck Dogulas Bradley in the intersection at 44th St. about 6:20 a.m. and kept going, according to cops.
“For (my father) to go out that way, it just wasn’t right, for the person to leave,” the victim’s son said. “I hope (the suspect) really gets his time in court and I hope the courts do the right thing.”
Rodriguez pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Brooklyn Supreme Criminal Court on Thursday and was released without bail. He is due back in court April 16.
The victim lived in Crown Heights.
“The only reason we knew where he was was because one of my brother’s friends was calling around hospitals, describing our father to everyone, and we found someone with the exact same description,” his daughter said. “That’s how we found out that he had been hit by a car … We don’t know how he ended up all the way over there at Sunset Park. But he did.”
Doctors told the victim’s family he would never wake up.
“The impact was so intense to his brain that he was put in a vegetative state,” said the victim’s daughter. “He was on a breathing machine. He was getting a feeding tube and the doctors told us, the nurses told us, that he would be in a vegetative state for the rest of his life.”
Douglas Bradley leaves behind three children and two grandchildren.
“My pop was a great man. He was a stand up individual. He was a protector, a provider. He just had a big heart,” his son said. “He wanted to see everybody do good, man, especially his family.”
The victim developed a drug habit in the 1980s and turned to social work after becoming sober. He used his experience with drugs to help his clients get off them, his family said.
“He had his rough s—. He put all of that behind him and started helping people out that were in his same position,” Douglas Bradley’s son said. “He was speaking from experience and not just from a book. He was able to give them life experiences that he went through to help them change.”
“He loved social work,” his daughter added. “It really turned things around for him to be able to help other people with the same issue.”
Douglas Bradley discovered he didn’t need drugs to have a good time.
“He loved to go out to party. He didn’t drink because of his substance abuse issues but he loved partying,” his daughter said. “He would always go out to dance.”
