Wife of ex-interim NYPD Commish Tom Donlon slapped with summons for car insurance lapse following NYC crash: sources

The wife of former interim NYPD Commissioner Tom Donlon found herself on the opposite side of the law Monday night after allegedly driving with out-of-date insurance in Manhattan, according to sources.

Deirdre O’Connor, 62, was arrested and issued a summons for lapsed insurance after she was involved in a three-vehicle collision near the corner of East 53rd Street and First Avenue just before 5:40 p.m., according to sources and police.

O’Connor was driving a 2019 white Honda CRV northbound on First Avenue when she was rear-ended by another car, which fled, police and sources said.

The force pushed her car forward into the back of a 2020 black Toyota Sienna Uber which was transporting a 46-year-old man in a motorized wheelchair, cops said. The man suffered back and neck injuries in the crash and was brought to NYU Langone Hospital in stable condition.


Tom Donlon
Former interim NYPD commissioner Tom Donlon’s wife was involved in a car crash in the city. Stephen Yang

Both O’Connor and the 56-year-old Uber driver remained at the scene until officers arrived.

O’Connor was arrested at the site of the crash over the insurance issue and brought to the 17th Precinct where she was issued a summons and released.

Donlon, 70, claimed to have “no idea” about his wife’s arrest when reached by phone Monday night.

Sources said he showed up in person at the 17th Precinct station himself but it’s unclear if he came down when his wife was still there or after The Post spoke to him.


NYC intersection
The intersection of 53rd Street and First Avenue where the crash occurred. William Miller

The driver who allegedly crashed into O’Connor remains at large.

The investigation is ongoing, police said.

The status of O’Connor and Donlon’s relationship is unclear. They each have separate home addresses but are listed as each others’ spouses according to available records.

Donlon, a former FBI official, was the third NYPD commissioner to serve under Mayor Eric Adams after Edward Caban resigned. He was replaced last month by former NYC Sanitation boss Jessica Tisch, 43, who took over as the permanent commissioner of the country’s largest police force.

He currently serves as a senior adviser for public safety at City Hall.

O’Connor didn’t immediately return a request for comment.

This is a breaking story. Please check back for updates.

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