Three Riverhead heroes honored for stopping erratic driver at Polish Town Fair
Two quick-thinking Riverhead police officers and a traffic control officer received proclamations Tuesday evening for preventing potential injury and tragedy by stopping an out-of-control driver from barreling through the Polish Town Fair this past weekend.
The frightening incident began around 10:30 a.m. — shortly after the second day of the popular event got underway — when 21-year-old Riverhead traffic control officer Ryan Zaleski — son of Riverhead Highway Department Superintendent Mike Zaleski —assigned to the festival spotted a Hyundai sedan being driven erratically on Sweezy Avenue.
“As TCO Zaleski approached the Hyundai, the vehicle struck a second vehicle, and continued its attempt to leave the area,” Lt. Jonathan Deveraux recounted at Tuesday’s Town Board meeting. “As TCO Zaleski approached the vehicle on foot in an effort to get the driver to stop, however, she fled the area at a high rate of speed, traveling northbound toward Osborn Avenue.”
Without hesitation, TCO Zaleski radioed the vehicle’s description, direction of travel and license plate number to the assigned Riverhead police officers at the festival.
Officers soon spotted the Hyundai heading south on Osborn Avenue straight toward the festival, where the roadway had been shut down because of the large crowd. Several officers attempted to stop the driver, later identified as Blanca Jimenez-Tapia of Riverhead, but she wove around cops, marked police vehicles and traffic barriers blocking the roadway and continued toward the crowd.
Seeing the driver heading to the festival area, Officer Matthew Neknez alerted Officer Stephen Ady on his radio about the immediate threat to the large crowd of pedestrians in the Hyundai’s path.
In a selfless act, Mr. Ady quickly jumped in a marked police cruiser blocked the Hyundai’s way, and the vehicles collided — successfully averting “further risk to the thousands of people at the fair,” Lt. Deveraux said.
“Due to the actions of traffic control officer Zaleski transmitting all of the pertinent information, Police Officer Neknez advising the officers on scene of the gravity of the situation, and Police Officer Ady’s selfless act of heroism, there were no injuries to any of the attendees of the Polish Town Fair or the police officers involved,” the lieutenant said.
The Town Hall board room erupted into applause as the three local heroes accepted their proclamations from Riverhead Town Supervisor Jerry Halpin and the council members.
“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, from our community, from each one of the Town Board members for what you did in fast acting — you did it with selfless reaction time, with humility, and with kindness, and your regard for everyone else around you will forever be appreciated,” Mr. Halpin said. “I hope for the remainder of your days, you never buy a cup of coffee in Riverhead again.”
Mike Zaleski beamed with pride from the audience at the recognition of his son — a 2023 Riverhead High School graduate who has been on the job for almost two years.
On Wednesday, reflecting on his late father’s 23 years as a Riverhead police officer, his own 32 years with the Riverhead Highway Department and now his son carrying on his family’s nearly six decades of service to the town, Mr. Zaleski couldn’t help but get emotional during a phone interview with the Riverhead News-Review.
He joked how his humble son barely divulged the heroic details when he was asked about his day at the Polish Town Fair. He credited his son’s BOCES education and the law enforcement-focused courses that provided him with the knowledge he needed to handle this tense situation.
“When he called it in, he did it proper, like a police officer,” the proud father said. “He loves what he’s doing. He handled the situation panic-free — everybody’s telling me he didn’t raise his breath, he was calm and collected, I’m glad everybody’s safe.”
