You are reading

Long Island Expressway Overpass to Be Renamed After NYPD Detective Killed by Drunk Driver

State Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky and Assemblymember Nily Rozic are working on legislation to rename a Long Island Expressway overpass in Fresh Meadows after Detective Anastasios Tsakos, pictured, who was killed by a drunk driver in the line of duty (Photo: NYPD and GMaps)

May 20, 2022 By Czarinna Andres

Two eastern Queens lawmakers are working on renaming a Long Island Expressway overpass after an NYPD officer who was struck and killed by a drunk driver while directing traffic on the thoroughfare last year.

State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky and Assemblymember Nily Rozic aim to have the overpass located at Francis Lewis Boulevard and Horace Harding Expressway called Detective Anastasio Tsakos Memorial Bridge.

Stavisky has sponsored and passed legislation in the senate, while Rozic has introduced a bill in the assembly that is moving through committee.

Tsakos, who had served 13 years with the NYPD as a highway officer, was killed during the early hours April 27, 2021, while he was directing traffic on the Long Island Expressway in Fresh Meadows after an earlier crash that evening.

He was struck by Jessica Beauvais at around 2 a.m., who was allegedly driving drunk and had a suspended license. Beauvais fled the scene but was later apprehended. She was later charged by a grand jury with a 13-count indictment including aggravated manslaughter and vehicular manslaughter.

Tsakos left behind a wife, a 6-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old son.

“Detective Tsakos served honorably in the NYPD and his tragic, untimely loss has been felt in the hearts of many,” Rozic said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to honor his memory and service to New Yorkers with the renaming of the Fresh Meadow overpass as Detective Anastasio Tsakos Memorial Bridge.“

Stavisky said the renaming is a fitting honor.

“The Detective Anastasio 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.”

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Queens Council Members celebrate $2.5 million in funding for AAPI curriculum

Jul. 3, 2025 By Shane O’Brien

Queens Council Members Shekar Krishnan, Linda Lee, Sandra Ung and Julie Won gathered on the steps of City Hall Wednesday afternoon alongside Manhattan Council Member Carlina Rivera to celebrate the “historic” $2.5 million budget investment to support the implementation of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) history curriculum in NYC schools.

Woman attacked and strangled in anti-LGBTQ assault in Far Rockaway: NYPD

The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating an anti-LGBTQ attack on a woman in Far Rockaway on the night of Tuesday, June 24, and three suspects remain at large.

The 28-year-old victim was walking in front of 18-26 Village Lane just north of Mott Avenue at around 8:30 p.m. when she was approached by the three men who shouted anti-LGBTQ rhetoric before they punched her multiple times, and one of the assailants placed his hands around her neck, and strangled her into unconsciousness, police said. The three men fled the scene, just down the street from the Rockaway Village development, to parts unknown.

Forest Hills home invasion leaves man hospitalized after brutal assault and robbery: NYPD

Police from the 112th Precinct in Forest Hills are looking for three suspects who beat and robbed a 28-year-old man during a home invasion on the afternoon of Saturday, June 21. The three intruders slipped into an apartment building at 102-40 62nd Ave. at around 4 p.m.

The perpetrators allegedly forced their way into the victim’s apartment, punched him repeatedly in his body with closed fists, and forcibly removed $60 in cash and medication before fleeing the building in an unknown direction, police said Monday. EMS responded to the crime scene and transported the victim to Long Island Jewish Forest Hills, where he was listed in stable condition.