Unlicensed Teen Driver In Crash That Killed Sgt. Gualdino Is Indicted

YONKERS, NY — The wheels of justice are still moving nearly a year after tragedy on a Westchester street.

The Yonkers Police Department announced Monday afternoon that after almost 11 months of investigation, criminal charges have been filed against the teen driver who is accused of causing the December 2022 accident that killed Yonkers Police Detective Sergeant Frank Gualdino.

On December 1, 2022, around 3:30 p.m., Yonkers Police Department officers responded to a multi-vehicle accident on the Sprain Brook Parkway overpass on Tuckahoe Road. The vehicles involved were an occupied Westchester County Bee-Line bus, a 2020 BMW M5, and an unmarked Yonkers Police Department vehicle (a 2012 Chevrolet Impala).

The driver of the police car was identified as Yonkers Police Traffic Unit Detective Sergeant Frank Gualdino, a 24-year veteran of the department, who ultimately died as a result of his injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital.

SEE ALSO:

• Group Pays Off Mortgage Of Yonkers Sergeant Killed On The Job
• Funeral Arrangements Set For Yonkers Police Sergeant Killed In Crash
• Police ID Officer Killed In Westchester Crash, Fault Teen Driver

The driver of the BMW was identified as a 16-year-old male resident of Yonkers, and was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. No further identifying information will be released about the teen, officials said, because he is a minor and because the case may be heard in Westchester County Family Court.

"The consequences of the irresponsible action of the driver resulted in a loss for our Yonkers Police Department, our City, and most importantly, the Gualdino family," City of Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano said. "Several law enforcement agencies dedicated time and resources by proactively pursuing this case, and we thank them for their effort and commitment. Thank you to Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah for securing charges and following through with this case."

The 16-year-old driver was indicted by a Westchester County Court grand jury on Friday for one count of felony criminally negligent homicide. He surrendered himself to Yonkers Police Department detectives earlier on Monday and was then arraigned in the Youth Part of Westchester County Court Monday afternoon.

"To say that this situation has been painful and difficult from day one through today is an understatement, although this is the first step towards closure for all involved," Yonkers Police Commissioner Christopher Sapienza said. "Our Detectives worked diligently, as they do with all of their cases, to conduct a thorough investigation and presented that to our partners in the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office. We thank District Attorney Rocah and her team for their work in pursuing this case criminally and our partners with the Westchester County Police Department for their assistance with the lengthy accident investigation."