Driver Charged After Fatal Flushing U-Haul Hit-and-Run
Prosecutors said Jamie Ferreira was speeding in a U-Haul when she hit and killed 56-year-old David Opiela at Horace Harding Expressway and Kissena Boulevard, where the official record cites unsafe speed.
What We Know
David Opiela, 56, died shortly after midnight on Aug. 20, 2024, at Horace Harding Expressway and Kissena Boulevard in Flushing. City crash data recorded one pedestrian killed, one motorist injured, a pick-up truck and a sedan, and unsafe speed. Police and prosecutors later identified the U-Haul driver as Jamie Ferreira and said she was speeding when she hit Opiela, then left on foot with passenger Jennifer Sablan. Early accounts differed on the precise sequence: some described a collision between the U-Haul driver and a Honda driver before Opiela was caught in the middle, while later prosecution coverage said Ferreira hit Opiela, then hit another car and fled. Ferreira was charged with manslaughter and other counts; Sablan also faced charges tied to items prosecutors said were found in the truck.
What police and prosecutors said happened
The crash was recorded at 12:29 a.m. on Aug. 20, 2024, with one pedestrian killed and one motorist injured. The official record lists unsafe speed as a contributing factor.
Police initially said a U-Haul driver traveling west on Horace Harding Expressway and a Honda Accord driver traveling south on Kissena Boulevard were involved before David Opiela was hit. Later, prosecutors said Jamie Ferreira was speeding in the U-Haul when she hit Opiela, hit another car, and left the scene on foot with Jennifer Sablan.
A Flushing intersection by Horace Harding Expressway
The fatal crash was reported at Horace Harding Expressway and Kissena Boulevard in Flushing. News reports described the location as near Queens College, and the Daily News described surveillance from the area showing the U-Haul driver approaching the intersection at high speed.
David Opiela died at the scene
David Opiela was 56. Police said first responders pronounced him dead at the scene. The official record identifies him as a male pedestrian killed at the intersection.
The Honda driver, a 42-year-old man, was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Queens Hospital in stable condition, according to police accounts published the day of the crash.
The records describe a Ford truck and a Honda sedan
The official record lists a 2015 Ford pick-up truck with two occupants and a 2015 Honda sedan with one occupant. News accounts and prosecutors described the truck driver as operating a U-Haul and the sedan driver as operating a Honda Accord.
Speed and alleged flight shaped the case
City crash data cites unsafe speed. Prosecutors said Ferreira was speeding, and the Daily News reported that police accused her of blowing a stoplight, driving onto the sidewalk, and leaving the crash scene before officers found her months later.
Early reporting did not agree on every movement before the fatal impact. AMNY reported police said Opiela was crossing the street and caught between two drivers, while other accounts described him walking nearby or being hit after the U-Haul driver mounted a curb.
Charges followed months later
In February 2025, prosecutors announced a 77-count indictment against Ferreira that included manslaughter, burglary, assault, reckless driving, speeding, and leaving the scene of an incident without reporting. Sablan also faced charges after prosecutors said investigators found counterfeit cash, stolen credit cards, a stolen checkbook, and personal identifying information in the truck.