ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A St. Louis County police detective killed in the line of duty will be honored Thursday morning with a bridge named after him.
The ‘White Flag Church’ on Telegraph Road is where the dedication ceremony is set for 9:00 a.m. The bridge we’re talking about is the Telegraph Road bridge over the Meramec River.
It’s just down Telegraph and is going to be named the ‘Detective Antonio Valentine Memorial Bridge.’
Detective Valentine was 42 years old when he was killed in a horrible head-on crash on December 1, 2021, while on the job. Valentine had been with the St. Louis County Police since 2007 and was assigned to the Bureau of Drug Enforcement when he lost his life.
Our Bommarito Automotive Group SkyFOX helicopter was flying over the terrible scene on Chambers Road in Bellefontaine. Valentine was working with other drug unit detectives conducting an investigation in the area when the wreck took place.
Detectives had tried to stop a Volkswagen Jetta, but instead authorities shared that the driver of the Jetta sped away, crossed the center line on Chambers Road, and crashed into an unmarked police minivan that Valentine was driving. Both Valentine and the driver of the Jetta, 33-year-old Alfred Mayes, were killed.
Besides his career in law enforcement, Valentine was also a military veteran. He served on active duty in the army, then was in the Army National Guard and the Air Force Reserve.
Valentine left behind many loved ones, including his four children, who ranged in age from 10 to 22 when the deadly crash happened.
