Lawrence, NY – A highly respected Five Towns physician who was also a valued member of Hatzolah died tonight after being hit by a car just after Shabbos.

Dr. Richard Friedman was walking to his Cedarhurst home in the rain shortly before 6 PM when he was struck by a car at Washington Avenue and Kenridge Road.

He was transported immediately to the hospital but passed away shortly after the accident. The driver of the car remained at the scene.

Dr. Friedman was the medical director for all 14 chapters of Hatzolah and was known in Hatzolah as ES-72. He also served as the medical director for Rockland County paramedics.

“Richie Friedman wonderful man who did tremendous service to the community for many, many years,” Hatzolah executive board member Jeff Moerdler told VIN News. “He will be sorely missed by everyone at Hatzolah and the entire community.”

The 5 Towns Jewish Towns (http://bit.ly/2AFzNz6) reported that Dr. Friedman was a surgeon and fourth generation of his family to become a doctor. The founder of Hatzolah of the West Side, Dr. Friedman was also the founder of and medical director of the Heritage Initiative at Beth Israel which was launched to promote cultural sensitivity.

In a May 2017 interview, Dr. Friedman shared his passion for his chosen career path saying, “for me, the most rewarding aspect of being a surgeon is being able to see results and to know that I have been able to make a person feel better and to have accomplished something.”