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On Thursday, May 24, on the corner of Stockbridge Road and Middleboro Drive, flanked by friends and family, Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano made it official, dedicating the road and dubbing it Michael Nolan Way in honor of the top prospect who lost his life in a hit-and-run. Spano also presented a proclamation making May 26 - what would have been Nolan’s 26th birthday - as Michael Nolan Day in the city.
Shortly after 12:30 a.m. on Sept. 18 of 2015, Nolan was standing outside of his Mercedes in the parking lot at Burger King on Central Park Avenue, when six shots rang out of the Toyota Camry being driven by four men implicated in the shooting, with one of the bullets striking Nolan in the head.
Nolan was rushed to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, and put into a medical coma before being declared dead on Oct. 9. Four men have since pleaded guilty to their roles in the fatal shooting.
The shooting launched a joint investigation between the Yonkers Police Department and Westchester County District Attorney’s office that determined the shooting was “in retaliation for the beating of an individual known to the suspects and related to events that took place during a drag race two nights prior.”
Following his death, Nolan’s family started the Michael Nolan Scholarship Fund, which supplies eight scholarships each year to students who achieve success in the classroom and benefit their community.
Nolan’s organs were donated after his death, saving six peoples’ lives so far, his brother James, who helped start the scholarship fund, said. He led the charge in the passing of a law that bans drag racing countywide, dubbed the Michael Nolan Law.
For years, drag racing has been an issue for police in Yonkers. Beginning last June, the new legislation passed by the City Council took effect, allowing police to seize vehicles that are used in a race, Spano said.
More than 1,000 tickets were issued in the city last year, according to police.
Spano stated that this bi-partisan legislation is the first of its kind in Yonkers and in Westchester County to address illegal racing.
"Our main concern is for the safety of our residents,” he said. “Thanks to our City Council, this legislation will help prevent future drag racing on our streets from occurring. We hope that seizing cars immediately we be a serious deterrent to those who participate in this unsafe practice.”
“Michael was an amazing person that was full of life, love to have fun, smart, and had so many more great attributes,” his brother added. “Michael fought extremely hard for his life for three weeks and battled through six brain surgeries but sadly passed away from the injuries. The loss of my brother Michael has not only devastated myself, family, but also has hurt the community.”
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