On Thursday, December 1st, 2022, at approximately 3:34 PM, members of the Yonkers Police Department responded to the Sprain Brook Parkway overpass on Tuckahoe Road on a report of a motor vehicle accident. Upon arrival First Responders observed a multi-vehicle accident involving two sedans and an occupied Westchester County Bee-Line bus; the involved sedans were a 2020 BMW M5 and an unmarked Yonkers Police vehicle, a 2012 Chevrolet Impala. Both sedans were occupied only by the operators; the bus had approximately thirty passengers. The operators of the BMW and police vehicle suffered devastating blunt force injuries to their heads and bodies and were transported to local area trauma centers in critical life-threatening conditions. The operator of the bus suffered non-life-threatening injuries, and several bus passengers were treated at the scene for minor injuries. Police cordoned off the area and initiated an investigation into the accident.
Detectives from the Major Case Squad, Crime Scene Unit, and investigators from the Westchester County Department of Public Safety responded to the scene to interview subjects and witnesses, recover surveillance video, process forensic evidence, and reconstruct the accident dynamics. Preliminary investigation has yielded that the bus and police vehicle were traveling westbound on Tuckahoe Road in parallel, and the BMW was traveling eastbound at a high rate of speed. The BMW operator apparently loses control of the vehicle and swerves into the opposite lanes of traffic, first striking the police vehicle then the bus resulting in catastrophic impacts. The incident, including before and after, was captured on surveillance video.
The operator of the police vehicle is identified as Yonkers Police Traffic Unit Sergeant Frank Gualdino, a 24-year veteran of this Department. Sergeant Gualdino died from his injuries at the hospital; he was 53-years-old and leaves behind a wife and two children, ages 14 and 20. At the time of the accident, Sergeant Gualdino was on-duty and working in his capacity as a traffic supervisor. He was due to retire in nine months.
The operator of the BMW is a 16-year-old male resident of Yonkers; he is presently in critical condition at a local area medical center. Due to his age, his identity remains undisclosed. He did not possess a driver’s license, only a learner’s permit that was obtained less than three weeks ago. He is also a student at a local private school.
Mayor Mike Spano stated, “Our hearts are heavy as the City of Yonkers has experienced an insurmountable loss. Sergeant Frank Gualdino was a cop’s cop and the epitome of Yonkers Finest. Yonkers is a close tight-knit community and when we lose one member of our law enforcement community, we all feel a sense of grief. Frank was someone we all knew and loved. He was a friend and a family man – the best of all of us and the best of Yonkers. May God protect Frank on his final journey and watch over wife, Lisa and children Emily and Mark. Rest easy, Frank. You are Yonkers Strong.”
Commissioner Christopher Sapienza stated, “There are no words to assuage the pain and anguish Frank’s family and the Yonkers Police community are experiencing right now. We lost one of our best – Frank was a dear friend to us all and everything a father, husband, and cop should be. We miss him dearly, and will do everything in our power to support his family and each other. Godspeed, Frank!”
The accident remains under active investigation, including the potential for criminal charges. Additional information may be released as it becomes available. The City of Yonkers and Yonkers Police Department would like to thank our community for their outpouring of support during this difficult time. ###
