Reinaldo Rodriguez,Mirella Vega Obituary, Death;- A recently retired police officer and his girlfriend have tragically lost their lives following a motorcycle accident in New York City on Labor Day.

According to police reports, Reinaldo Rodriguez and his girlfriend Mirella Vega, both aged 42, sustained fatal injuries when the new 2025 Harley-Davidson they were riding collided with the rear passenger side of a Mercedes-Benz SUV in Brooklyn, as reported by the New York Daily News and Patch.

The SUV was allegedly making a left turn from Atlantic Avenue onto Elton Street in the Cypress Hills neighborhood when the incident occurred at approximately 8:10 p.m. local time on Monday, September 1.

Both Rodriguez and his girlfriend were thrown from the motorcycle, as stated by ABC affiliate WABC-TV and the Daily News. Rodriguez was pronounced dead at the scene, while Vega succumbed to her injuries at Brookdale University Hospital.

Rodriguez, affectionately known as Rey, was characterized as “a ray of sunshine with a smile that would illuminate the entire room” in a statement released by his family through GoFundMe.

“He was loyal, incredibly supportive, kind, honest, very caring, trustworthy, quite adventurous, extremely charming, compassionate, genuine, hilariously funny, generous, and understanding,” the family expressed.
Rodriguez dedicated 21 years of his life to the New York City Police Department (NYPD) before retiring in the spring, as noted by his family.

The former officer had recently acquired the motorcycle involved in the accident as a retirement gift for himself, according to the Daily News.

Rodriguez is survived by a 10-year-old son, while Vega, a medical assistant, leaves behind three children of her own. The retired officer’s father, who shares the same name, Reinaldo Rodriguez, mentioned that the couple met in high school and reconnected later in life after Rey’s divorce from his first wife.
“Regrettably, this beautiful soul’s retirement aspirations were abruptly halted, along with those of the woman he cherished deeply, Mirella,” Rey’s family stated. “We kindly request that you keep her family in your thoughts and prayers as well. This is a challenging time for them too.”

The fatal crash occurred just blocks away from Rey’s home in East New York, according to the Daily News. His funeral is expected to take place this week. The male driver of the SUV involved in the crash remained at the scene and was eventually transported to Brookdale University Hospital in stable condition, according to WABC-TV.

Meanwhile, more than $22,000 has been raised through the GoFundMe for Rey’s family as of Monday, Sept. 8. The funds will go toward funding his services, and anything left over afterward will be donated to his son Aiden.

“He was looking forward to spending more time with his son,” said Rey’s mother, 68-year-old Diane Rodriguez, according to the Daily News. “Everything was for him. That was his world.”