Off-duty Nassau County officer Patricia Espinosa killed in Saint James DWI crash

An off-duty Nassau County police officer was killed early Jan. 31 when a pickup truck failed to stop at a red light and struck her vehicle at the intersection of Route 347 and Alexander Avenue in Saint James. The crash, reported at 6:06 a.m., has drawn mourning across local law enforcement and renewed attention to DWI enforcement and intersection safety on a busy Suffolk corridor.

Suffolk County Police said the northbound driver, later identified as 20-year-old Matthew Smith of Hauppauge, ran a red light and struck the westbound sedan driven by 42-year-old Patricia Espinosa. Smith was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated; his vehicle was impounded. Smith and a 25-year-old passenger were taken to Stony Brook University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Espinosa was transported to Stony Brook and pronounced dead there.

Police reports and subsequent accounts identified the pickup as a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado and the sedan as a 2019 Alfa Romeo. One passenger in the pickup was named in reporting as John Andali, 25, of Centereach; officials have described that person’s injuries as non-life-threatening. The Suffolk County Police Major Case Unit is leading the investigation and asks anyone with information to call 631-852-6553.

Espinosa was a member of the Nassau County Police Department’s Fifth Precinct and joined the force in 2017 after four years as a New York State correctional officer. Department and union statements described her as part of a multigenerational law enforcement family. Tommy Shevlin, president of the Nassau County PBA, said, “Officer Espinosa served with honor, courage, and compassion, and her death in a violent crash caused by a driver charged with DWI is a profound loss to our department, our county, and every community she protected.” Shevlin added, “Officer Espinosa was the heart of a true law-enforcement family - her husband Francisco Malaga, and her two brothers, Christian and David Almeida, all who proudly serve as police officers - and she leaves behind a two-year-old daughter Mia, who will grow up knowing their mother was a hero.”

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said he was “heartbroken over the passing of Police Officer Patricia Espinosa a beloved member of the Fifth Precinct,” and noted, “I had the honor of marching with her in the Puerto Rican Day parade. Condolences to her husband Police Officer Francisco Malaga and her brother Police Officer Christian Almeida.” Blakeman ordered county flags to be flown at half-staff starting Monday until Espinosa’s burial.

For Suffolk County residents, the crash raises local concerns about red-light compliance and impaired driving on Route 347, a major east-west artery that carries commuter traffic across Long Island. The loss also highlights risks faced by officers and first responders who live and work in tightly knit policing communities. The Major Case Unit investigation remains active; officials say they will release further details as evidence and records are processed. Residents with tips can contact Suffolk County Police at 631-852-6553.