In less than 24 hours, nearly $170,000 has poured into a fundraiser for the husband and young daughter of slain Nassau County cop Patricia Espinosa.
The GoFundMe, organized by the Nassau County Police Hispanic Society for the officer who was horrifically killed by a suspected drunk driver in an early morning crash Saturday, topped $125,000 during its first three hours.
“Officer Patricia Espinosa lived the American dream,” her GoFundMe reads.
“Immigrating from Ecuador at 21, already holding a college degree, she learned the English language and continued her forward motion to obtain a better life,” the memorial continued.
Espinosa, 42, was killed after a drunk driver allegedly ran a red light and rammed his Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck straight into her Alfa Romeo on Route 347 in St. James, police said.
She was rushed to Stony Brook University Hospital, where she died.
The allegedly boozed-up motorist, Matthew Smith, 20, and his passenger, John Andali, 25, were both transported to the same Suffolk County hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
Smith is charged with driving while intoxicated and has yet to be arraigned while he recovers in the hospital, according to authorities.
Espinosa joined the Nassau PD in 2017 and quickly became a beloved presence in the Fifth Precinct and the North Elmont community, where she was known for her warmth, intensity and hands-on approach to policing, her GoFundMe detailed.
She served as a former New York State corrections officer before moving on to serve as a field training officer, mentoring young cops, and playing a key role in the department’s mentoring initiatives aimed at inspiring local youth to pursue civil service, the GoFundMe continued.
Espinosa was also deeply involved with charitable efforts as a police officer, earning multiple awards and citations during her career for her dedication to the community she served.
She leaves behind her husband and two-year-old daughter, Mia, according to the Nassau police union.
“Patricia understood the sacrifices of this profession not just as an officer, but as a wife, a sister, and a mother in blue,” Nassau County PBA President Tommy Shevlin said in a statement on Facebook. “That her life was taken in such a senseless act makes this loss even more painful.
“We stand shoulder to shoulder with her family and our brother and sisters in uniform, and we will honor her legacy by never forgetting her service, her sacrifice, and the family she leaves behind.”