Grandfather fatally struck by Brooklyn hit-run driver had overcome addiction to become drug counselor

A Brooklyn grandfather who was fatally struck by a hit-and-run driver overcame his addiction to become a drug counselor who dedicated his life to helping others with their struggles with drug addiction, the victim’s family told the Daily News.

The driver of the white sedan that cops say hit social worker Douglas Bradley, 64, in Sunset Park on Dec. 21 was found and arrested Thursday.

Doctors rushed Bradley to NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn, where he clung to life for nearly 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, Nia Bradley, 27, told The News. “We didn’t think it was a way for him to continue living. It’s not what he would have wanted.”

Douglas Bradley died on January 2. Among the mourners were the recovering addicts he helped throughout his career.

“A lot of people that he helped get well came to his funeral,” said the victim’s son, Douglas Bradley Jr., 41. “It’s just a testament to the kind of person he was and the kind of effect he had on their lives.”

Eric Rodríguez, 25, was arrested last week, almost two months after the accident, for leaving the scene of a fatal accident. He was driving north on Fifth Avenue when he struck Douglas Bradley at the intersection of 44th Street around 6:20 a.m. and continued driving, cops say.

“For [my father] going out that way, it just wasn’t right for the person to leave,” the victim’s son said. “I hope [the suspect] he really gets his time in court and I hope the courts do the right thing.

Rodriguez pleaded not guilty during his arraignment in Brooklyn Supreme Criminal Court on Thursday and was released without bail. He is due back in court on 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 dad to everyone, and we found someone with the exact same description,” his daughter said. “That’s how we found out he’d been hit by a car. … We don’t know how he ended up there in Sunset Park. But he did.”

Doctors told the victim’s family that he would never wake up.

“The impact was so intense on his brain that he was put into a vegetative state,” said the victim’s daughter. “He was on a ventilator. 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 dad was a great man. He was a stand-up person. He was a protector, a provider. He just had a big heart,” his son said. “He wanted to see everyone do good, man, especially his family.”

The victim developed a drug addiction 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 fell on hard times. He put it all behind him and started helping people who were in the same situation,” said Douglas Bradley’s son. “He spoke from experience and not just from a book. He was able to share with them the life experiences he had to help them change.”

“He loved social work,” his daughter added. “It really made a difference for him to be able to help other people with the same problem.”

Douglas Bradley discovered he didn’t need drugs to have a good time.

“He loved to go out and party. He didn’t drink because of his drug issues, but he loved to party,” his daughter said. “He always went out to dance.”