Lawmakers propose renaming bridge for fallen NYPD officer from East Northport

Two Queens lawmakers have introduced state legislation seeking to rename a Long Island Expressway overpass in honor of NYPD Det. Anastasios Tsakos of East Northport, killed by an alleged drunken driver while working at an accident scene on the road last year.

A father of two, Tsakos also was one of two officers awarded the NYPD's Medal of Honor last month at a ceremony with Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell.

The veteran NYPD Highway Patrol officer was directing traffic at the scene of a fatal crash when he was struck by the hit-and-run driver on an LIE exit ramp to the Clearview Expressway in Queens on April 21, 2021. He was posthumously promoted to detective.

Police later arrested Jessica Beauvais, 32, of Hempstead, charging her with second-degree aggravated manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter and a slew of other charges. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said Beauvais had a blood-alcohol content of 0.15% — almost twice the legal limit of 0.08% in New York — when tested more than two hours after the crash.

Court records show Beauvais, who apologized to the Tsakos family while being led handcuffed to arraignment following her arrest, pleaded not guilty on May 25, 2021, was remanded on $1.25 million bond or $500,000 cash. She is next due in court on Aug. 9.

The overpass to be named in honor of Tsakos is near the crash scene and carries Francis Lewis Boulevard over the LIE It will be called the "Detective Anastasios Tsakos Memorial Bridge."

Family members could not be reached for comment Friday.

The legislation is co-sponsored by state State Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky (D-Flushing) and Assemb. Nily Rozic (D-Fresh Meadows). The bill was passed in the Senate and now is moving through committee in the Assembly, officials said.

"For more than a decade, Detective Tsakos served our city and helped keep our neighborhoods safe," Stavisky said in a statement, adding: "He was a loving son and father who is survived by his wife and two children. It is fitting that we rename this overpass in his honor. The 'Detective Anastasios Tsakos Memorial Bridge' will not only keep his memory alive, but will also serve as a reminder of his heroism and line-of-duty death."

"NYPD Officer Anastasios Tsakos is a hero we should all look up to for his dedication and commitment to our communities," Assemb. Keith Brown (R-Northport) said in a statement. " ... East Northport will never forget this hero in blue, this husband and loving father.” 

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”