Construction worker who died in fall from Queens bridge remembered as respectful father
The construction worker who fell to his death on a Queens highway was remembered in the neighborhood where he grew up as a respectful father from a hardworking family.
Jeremy Rozan, 34, was on a catwalk on the Roosevelt Ave. Bridge around Flushing Creek when he lost his balance and tumbled to the Van Wyck Expessway about 10:20 a.m. Tuesday, police said.
He fell into a northbound lane, where he was hit by a passing car.
Rozan was rushed to New York-Presbyterian Hospital Queens, where he died.
Structural Steel and Bridge Painters of Greater New York, the union which represented Rozan, mourned him in a Facebook post.
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of brother Jeremy Rozan,” the union stated. “A father, son, brother and loved one.”
“It’s a shame,” said a former neighbor who asked not to be named. “When my daughter told me, I was so upset. She was hysterical.”
Rozan’s parents and brother still live in the Rosebank section of Staten Island.
“Really nice family,” the woman recalled. “So quiet. They don’t bother anybody. Hardworking people. Nice People.”
Rozan attended Moore Catholic High School on an athletic scholarship, the woman said.
He left the family home when he moved in with a girlfriend on Staten Island. The two had a child together.
“The family must be devastated,” she said. “I still can’t believe he passed away.”
The driver who struck Rozan remained at the scene.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said that in the wake of Rozan’s death, it is investigating Nuco Painters, a Long Island-based company that specializes in industrial painting and steel repair.
Asked for comment, Nuco Painters hung up on a reporter.
