Nassau police officer killed in Suffolk County crash; driver charged with DWI

A Nassau County police officer was killed in a crash in Suffolk County early Saturday, and the driver of a pickup truck was charged with driving while intoxicated, police said. Police said Officer Patricia Espinosa, 42, was driving west on Route 347 in St. James around 6:06 a.m. when a pickup truck heading north on Alexander Avenue ran a red light and struck her vehicle. Espinosa was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, police said. The pickup driver, identified by police as Matthew Smith, 20, of Hauppauge, and a passenger were taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, police said. Both vehicles were impounded as the investigation continues. The Nassau County PBA identified Espinosa as a wife and mother of a 2-year-old daughter and called her a hero.