Cuomo signs bill dedicating Jones Beach bridge to NYPD detective's memory

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Thursday signed a bill dedicating a Jones Beach bridge to a Bethpage NYPD detective who died in a car crash in 2015.

Cuomo signed the bill dedicating the "Betsy Horner-Miller Cutrone Memorial Bridge" on Bay Parkway going over Wantagh State Parkway in Jones Beach State Park.

Elizabeth Horner-Miller Cutrone, 51, of Bethpage was killed Aug. 15, 2015, on the Wantagh State Parkway when the Jeep she was in was hit by a pickup trying to change lanes near the Jones Beach tollbooths. She died while being airlifted to Nassau University Medical Center and her husband was severely injured.

Cutrone was an NYPD detective and served in the 90th and 69th precincts in Brooklyn and the Brooklyn North narcotics division. She also worked at Ground Zero of the World Trade Center as part of the recovery mission after the 9/11 attacks.

"Detective Cutrone was a dedicated public servant whose honorable legacy includes helping us recover and regain our morale after Sept. 11," Cuomo said. "By naming after her a part of the state highway system near the place where she tragically lost her life, we are paying a subtle tribute to her memory and to her devotion to serving others."

The bill was introduced by Assemb. David McDonough (R-Merrick) and Sen. John Brooks (D-Seaford).

The bridge runs just north of Jones Beach fields 4 and 5.

McDonough, who is the ranking member on the transportation committee, said he filed the bill two years ago in Cutrone’s memory. He said he was concerned about Cuomo signing the bill before he resigned.

"The case here was a police officer tragically killed and her husband injured," McDonough said. "We wanted to do something for her husband and her family to remember her. She had a brilliant career."

Brooks said in a prepared statement Thursday: "Detective Betsy Homer-Miller Cutrone was a hero taken from us much too soon. ... A September 11th recovery worker, dedicated detective, loving wife, and cherished friend, she truly embodied the best of New York."

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.