Overview
- Suffolk County police say Matthew Smith, 20, ran a red light at Alexander Avenue and Route 347 at 6:06 a.m., striking Officer Patricia Espinosa’s 2019 Alfa Romeo with a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado.
- Espinosa, 42, a Nassau County Fifth Precinct officer, was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital and was pronounced dead.
- Smith, of Hauppauge, and his passenger, John Andali, 25, of Centereach, were treated at Stony Brook for non-life-threatening injuries.
- Police charged Smith with driving while intoxicated, impounded both vehicles, and said the investigation is ongoing.
- County Executive Bruce Blakeman extended condolences and directed flags to be lowered from Monday until burial, as the PBA president praised Espinosa’s dedication and noted her law‑enforcement family.