Fallen Willoughby Police Officer Jason Gresko honored with road dedication

Sandra Gresko, widow of fallen Willoughby Police Officer Jason Gresko, stood and took photos of their daughter Olivia under the sign dedicating a portion of Route 91 to Jason, who was killed by a drunken driver in a line-of-duty crash on Sept. 21, 2012.

The entire portion of Route 91 that runs through Willoughby has been named a memorial highway in Gresko’s honor.

Highway memorial signs were unveiled simultaneously at the Willoughby-Willoughby Hills border and at the Willoughby-Eastlake border on April 20.

Route 91 was selected since Route 2 and Interstate 90 already have memorial signs, and it will mostly be seen by people coming into Willoughby, said Willoughby Police Chief Jack Beckwith.

A dedication ceremony held at Willoughby City Hall was attended by the Gresko family, numerous Willoughby police officers, the police chief, former Mayor David Anderson and state Rep. John M. Rogers, D-Mentor-on-the-Lake.

“The travesty here is someone who is a young family man with a loving wife and a child was killed in the line of duty trying to save someone and you can’t replace someone like that,” Rogers said. “Officer Gresko, to avoid colliding with the truck, took a different path and it cost him his life. Officers are everyday heroes and there are probably two teenage kids that are alive today because of his actions.”

Rogers also noted that his loss was felt not only by his family but his community as well, and that April 20 was a day to celebrate Gresko, his profession and all that is good about what he represented.

Anderson, who was mayor and safety director at the time of Gresko’s death, told those attending the ceremony that while the night of the fatal crash still remains in everyone’s mind, he knew that there were a lot of great memories of Gresko, too.

“That’s the beauty of a service like this — is that we celebrate Jason’s life and all the good times,” Anderson said.

Rogers said, “To the extent that we can, we should help and support the families of individuals who give their lives in service and certainly naming a portion of the road in his honor is a small token and certainly the least we can do.”

Sandra Gresko said she felt that the dedication was an example of a great community and a great department that has been there for the family since day one.

“Jason was super proud to work for the city and this is an example of why,” Sandra said. “They have been there for us for the last five years and I know they will continue to be there for us and to have a sign up in his memory means a lot to the family and the community. We are very thankful.”

In other news