A retired NYPD detective once hailed as a hero after he was wounded while trying to stop a robbery was busted Wednesday for the deadly road rage-fueled shooting of a hardworking dad of two along the George Washington Bridge , cops said.

Victor Romero, 62 — who hung up his badge about a year after being shot while off duty in June 2000 — allegedly shot Koran Irvine, 46, in a fit of anger at around 7:15 p.m. Tuesday on the New Jersey-bound upper level of the crossing, cops said.

Romero was charged with murder and was awaiting arraignment Wednesday night, the NYPD said.

The former Finest, who most recently lived in Haverstraw, allegedly admitted to being the shooter to investigators and handed the gun to police, sources said.

His home was frozen Wednesday evening as investigators awaited a search warrant, and his car was in NYPD custody, according to the sources.

Footage reviewed by investigators shows the moment Irving’s car suddenly jerked as the other motorist pulled up on the rear passenger side of his ride – likely the moment the shooting happened, according to the sources.

Irvine’s ride then rolled into the median and came to a stop, before the shooter’s vehicle drove off, the sources said.

Investigators preliminarily believe a single shot was fired – piercing the back window and grazing a head rest before entering the victim’s right shoulder and exiting the left side of his neck, according to the sources.

Irvine was rushed to Englewood Hospital where he was later pronounced dead, authorities said.

The arrested detective — who worked out of Brooklyn North Narcotics — retired in late July of 2001, a result of the off-duty gun battle about a year earlier at his family's dry cleaning business, King's Laundromat on Kings Highway in East Flatbush, police sources said.

One of the armed goons allegedly snarled “Give us all the money or we’ll blow your heads off!,” The Post reported at the time.

Romero immediately said he’d comply and begged the men not to shoot anyone — but one of the robbers instead shoved his weapon into the cheek of a terrified customer.

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Romero then opened fire with his service weapon, starting a melee that ended with Romero himself and two of the suspects shot and wounded.

“He’s lucky to be alive. That bullet could have easily ripped through his heart,” one officer at the scene said at the time. “He’s a true hero – he prevented a potential bloodbath.”