Roselle Fire Department Capt. Jon Young, gets a kiss as he visits The Associated Humane Societies in Newark in this Star-Ledger file photo. Capt. Young died today of an apparent heart attack.ROSELLE — Jon Young was a government worker who dedicated his life to his job. And in Roselle, where he was a fire captain and the emergency manager coordinator, that meant he built deep connections with colleagues.
"Whether he was fighting fires or working EMS, he spent 23½ hours a day doing something for the borough," said Tom Soban, a police officer who was such close friends with Young that others called the two twins, even though Young was a foot taller and the two were born five years apart.
Perhaps it was fitting, then, that the 50-year-old’s death today — caused by an apparent heart attack while he was driving — prompted many members of the fire department to take the day off so they could grieve.
As firefighters from Elizabeth and Linden stood by in case there were an emergency in Roselle, Young’s colleagues — many tall, strong men — were brought to tears. The bereaved milled around the firehouse today, embracing and sharing their pain.
"He was a great guy. Everybody loved him," said Battalion Chief John Lynn.
A graduate of Abraham Clark High School, Young lived in Rahway.
Young was driving his personal pickup truck on Columbus Avenue between Spruce Street and Arcadia Place when he suddenly crashed into a fence, moments after waving to people he knew, said police Capt. Mark Christensen. No one else was hurt or involved in the crash, police said.
First responders performed CPR, but Young was later pronounced dead at Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth. He may have been working in his capacity as emergency management coordinator, fire officials said.
Young had been lauded as a hero. He had helped save a woman from a burning house, rescued a driver from a fiery wreck and waded through an icy lake to pull a dog to safety.
By Julia Terruso and Ryan Hutchins/The Star-Ledger