OAKVILLE, Mo. (KMOX)--The bridge over the Meramec River on Telegraph Road, connecting Arnold and Oakville, has been named after fallen St. Louis County Officer Detective Antonio Valentine.
The naming was made official in July when Governor Mike Parson signed a bill by State Representative Jim Murphy into law. A dedication service was held at White Flag Church in Oakville Thursday near the two year anniversary of Detective Valentine's death.
On Dec. 1st, 2021, Valentine was fatally injured in a motor vehicle crash occurring in North St. Louis County. He was assigned to the Bureau of Drug Enforcement.
Before that, he served in the Army, Air Force, and Army National Guard. He was deployed in active combat to Iraq and Kyrgyzstan.
Detective Valentine is survived by four children including adult son Jaylan who tells KMOX he wants to join the force.
"It's actually something I've wanted to do for a long time," Jaylan said. "I went away for a couple of years to college to test new theories, new ideas. At the end of the day, I came back to what I've wanted to do since I was a child."