Driver Charged in Northern Boulevard Crash That Killed Justin Diaz
City crash data records one death and two injuries at Northern Boulevard and 107th Street at 4:12 a.m.; prosecutors said Michael Pena, an off-duty FDNY firefighter, drove 83 mph through a red light and hit Justin Diaz as Diaz drove to work.
What We Know
Justin Diaz, 23, was driving north on 107th Street before dawn on Feb. 26, 2025, on his way to a LaGuardia Airport job when prosecutors said Michael Pena, an off-duty FDNY firefighter, drove east on Northern Boulevard at 83 mph in a 25 mph zone and ran a red light. City crash data records one death and two injuries at Northern Boulevard and 107th Street and lists alcohol involvement and traffic control disregarded as factors. Prosecutors said testing found Pena's blood-alcohol content at 0.156% and cocaine and marijuana in his system. Pena was charged in a 14-count indictment including manslaughter, assault, speeding and driving while intoxicated, pleaded not guilty, was fired by the FDNY and later ordered held after a judge revoked his bond.
Before dawn at Northern Boulevard and 107th Street
City crash data records a fatal collision at 4:12 a.m. on Feb. 26, 2025, at Northern Boulevard and 107th Street in Queens, with one motorist killed and two motorists injured. The official record lists two sedans involved in motion and a parked sport utility vehicle.
Prosecutors said Michael Pena, driving a Mercedes-Benz east on Northern Boulevard, ran a red light at 83 mph in a 25 mph zone and hit the driver's side of Justin Diaz's BMW as Diaz drove north on 107th Street. They said Diaz had the right of way; medics took him to Elmhurst Hospital Center, where he died.
A deadly point on a major Queens corridor
The crash occurred at Northern Boulevard and 107th Street in Queens. CrashCountNYC location context for Northern Boulevard in Queens shows 3,399 crashes, 2,139 injuries, 137 serious injuries and 11 deaths from Jan. 1, 2022, through June 1, 2026.
Justin Diaz was headed to an airport shift
Diaz, 23, worked at LaGuardia Airport and had studied aeronautics at Vaughn College. Press accounts reported that he was on his way to an early shift when the crash happened, and that his diploma arrived after his death.
At court, Toni Diaz, identified as Justin's mother, said, "My son's life mattered just like anyone else's. An innocent 23-year-old going to work. It's very, very sad. My heart is broken forever."
Prosecutors cited speed, a red light, alcohol and drugs
The official crash record lists alcohol involvement and traffic control disregarded as contributing factors. Prosecutors said Pena had been drinking before the crash, refused a breath test at the scene, and later tested at a 0.156% blood-alcohol content, with cocaine and marijuana also found in his system.
Prosecutors also told the court that Pena had received 25 school-zone speeding tickets in recent years. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said, "Our shared roadways are not a racetrack."
Charges, firing and a later remand
Police initially charged Pena with vehicular manslaughter, driving while intoxicated and refusing a breath test. After a grand jury indictment, he faced 14 counts, including manslaughter, assault, speeding and driving while intoxicated; ABC7 reported that he pleaded not guilty.
The FDNY fired Pena after the crash. In April, a Queens judge revoked his bond and ordered him held; prosecutors said he faced up to 15 years in prison if convicted.