The Yonkers Bridge, where Sgt. Frank Gualdino died in a crash named in his memory

The section of Tuckahoe Road where Sgt. Yonkers police. On Wednesday, Frank Gualdino was remembered, who was killed two years ago when a teenage driver without a driver’s license crashed into his police car.

In front of a crowd of more than 100 people, his wife Lisa and children Emily and Mark unveiled a plaque reading “Detective Sergeant Frank Gualdino Memorial Bridge.”

“Frank died on this bridge doing what he loved, serving the people of Yonkers,” Lisa Gualdino said moments earlier. “I hope that as you cross this now symbolic bridge, you will recognize the strength and fortitude of the honor and sacrifice of Frank and the entire Yonkers Police Department.”

On the afternoon of December 1, 2022, Gualdino was driving westbound on Tuckahoe Road to check the traffic lights when an oncoming 16-year-old lost control of his BMW, entered westbound traffic and struck Gualdino’s car and a Beeline bus on the overpass leading to park alley.

Gualdino, who was posthumously promoted to detective sergeant, was a 24-year veteran of the department and planned to retire last year.

Lisa Gualdino, her daughter Emily and son Mark, on October 30, 2024, after the unveiling of a sign on Tuckahoe Road honoring their husband and father, Detective Sgt. Frank Gauldino, who died in an accident on December 1, 2022.

The teenage driver faced criminal charges, but due to his age, the case was transferred to Family Court. Earlier this year, he was sentenced to a suspended sentence and community service.

The bridge’s name change was a joint effort of city, county and state officials and was approved by the state Legislature. Signs marking the name were also placed on the northern and southern lanes of the park avenue.

Photo of Sgt. Yonkers Police. Frank Gualdino, provided by Yonkers Police Department, December 2, 2022 A police sergeant who served with the department for 24 years was killed in a multi-vehicle crash on Tuckahoe Road on Thursday afternoon.

“We understood how important it was to recognize this bridge, this area where Frank lost his life, to remind us of his commitment and compassion, and to remember his legacy,” said State Assemblyman Nader Sayegh, who led the effort.

Mayor Mike Spano praised Gauldino as a police officer, friend, husband and father who remains an important part of the lives he touched.

A sign on the northbound Sprain Brook Parkway in Yonkers under a section of Tuckahoe Road named for Detective Sgt. Frank Gualdino, who died in a car accident while on duty on December 1, 2022.

“Remember the seriousness of what is going to happen here,” Spano said at the beginning of the ceremony. “It’s not just a name on a board. This is a moment in history, a moment that we will all cherish in our hearts as we celebrate a man’s life.”

Lisa Gualdino called the day bittersweet for the family, but said it was an honor to step onto the bridge her husband likely crossed thousands of times in his life “until the very end.”

Lisa Gualdino, along with her daughter Emily and son Mark, speaks on October 30, 2024, at the naming ceremony of the Tuckahoe Road Bridge over the Sprain Brook Parkway in memory of her husband, a Yonkers detective. Frank Gualdino, who died in an accident on December 1, 2022. — Lisa Gualdino, alongside her daughter Emily and son Mark, speaks on October 30, 2024, at the naming ceremony of the Tuckahoe Road Bridge over Sprain Brook Parkway in memory of her husband, Detective Sgt. Yonkers. Frank Gualdino, who died in an accident on December 1, 2022.

Lisa Gualdino, alongside her daughter Emily and son Mark, speaks on October 30, 2024, at the naming ceremony of the Tuckahoe Road Bridge over Sprain Brook Parkway in memory of her husband, Detective Sgt. Yonkers. Frank Gualdino, who died in an accident on December 1, 2022.

“The vacuum left by the loss of Frank is immeasurable and unquenchable, but events like this help heal the pain by giving him the love and respect he deserves,” she said.

This article originally appeared in the Rockland/Westchester Journal News: The Yonkers Bridge in New York, where Sgt. Frank Gualdino died in his memory