Michael Pena Sentenced in Fatal Northern Boulevard DWI Crash
His Diploma
The city recorded a fatal two-sedan crash at Northern Boulevard and 107th Street on Feb. 26, 2025; prosecutors said Michael Pena ran a red light at 83 mph while intoxicated and hit Justin Diaz, who died.
Location reported in Open Data.
What We Know
The city recorded one death and two motorist injuries after a two-sedan crash at Northern Boulevard and 107th Street before dawn on Feb. 26, 2025. Prosecutors said Michael Pena, then an off-duty FDNY firefighter, drove east on Northern Boulevard while intoxicated, went through a steady red light at 83 mph in a 25 mph zone and hit the driver's side of a BMW operated by Justin Diaz, who had the green light on 107th Street. Diaz, a LaGuardia Airport worker on his way to an early shift, died at Elmhurst Hospital. Pena later pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and second-degree vehicular manslaughter, and a judge sentenced him to four to 12 years in prison.
Prosecutors said Pena ran the red before dawn
The city crash record lists the crash at 4:12 a.m. at Northern Boulevard and 107th Street in Queens, with one motorist killed and two motorists injured. Prosecutors placed the collision at about 4:15 a.m. and said Michael Pena drove a silver Mercedes S63 Coupe east on Northern Boulevard through a steady red light at 83 mph in a 25 mph zone.
Justin Diaz was driving north on 107th Street in a purple BMW with the green light, prosecutors said. Pena hit the driver's side of Diaz's BMW, and the impact pushed Diaz's car into a parked Toyota; EMS took Diaz to Elmhurst Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A Northern Boulevard intersection near Diaz's route to work
The crash happened at Northern Boulevard and 107th Street, near the blocks between 107th and 108th streets in Queens. Most reviewed reports described the site as East Elmhurst, while some early or duplicated reports used North Corona and one ABC text used Kew Gardens while naming the same intersection.
Press accounts said Diaz had left from near his family's home and was headed to an early shift at LaGuardia Airport when the crash occurred.
Justin Diaz was remembered for work, school and aviation
Diaz, 23, was a LaGuardia Airport worker and had studied aeronautics at Vaughn College. Family members told reporters his diploma arrived after his death, and relatives placed it in his casket at his funeral.
His mother, Toni Diaz, told ABC7, "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."
Alcohol, speed and a red light became the core case
The official crash record listed alcohol involvement and disregarding traffic control as contributing factors. Prosecutors said testing showed Pena was intoxicated and had cocaine and marijuana in his system after the crash.
The Queens district attorney said Pena drove through a steady red light and hit Diaz's BMW while going more than three times the posted speed limit. In July 2026, Pena pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and second-degree vehicular manslaughter.
The case ended with a prison sentence
Police first charged Pena with vehicular manslaughter, driving while intoxicated and refusing a breath test. The FDNY suspended him after the crash and later fired him.
A Queens grand jury indicted Pena on 14 counts, and he pleaded not guilty before later entering guilty pleas to manslaughter and vehicular manslaughter. On July 16, 2026, a judge sentenced him to four to 12 years in prison.