Police Officer Angelo Hurtado’s point of view as he entered the intersection of Woodhaven and Rockaway Boulevards.
Photo taken by PO Matthew Grilo of Highway District Collision Technician Group after the incident
Attorney General Letitia James announced she would not bring charges against an NYPD officer who was off-duty when he struck and killed two men in Ozone Park in the spring of 2021.
The AG’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI) released its report on the deaths of Marcelo Pelaez and Leonardo Rodriguez-Mendoza on Woodhaven Boulevard following a “thorough and comprehensive investigation,” which included crash reconstruction analysis, review of security camera video, and witness interviews. OSI determined that a prosecutor would not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the officer committed a crime and that criminal charges could not be pursued in this matter.
On the morning of May 24, 2021, off-duty Police Officer Angelo Hurtado was driving home with his wife and daughter after visiting friends. While driving northbound on Woodhaven Boulevard at the intersection with Rockaway Boulevard, the officer hit Pelaez and Rodriguez-Mendoza, who were crossing Woodhaven Boulevard from east to west in the northern crosswalk at 12:30 a.m. Hurtado and multiple bystanders called 911 to request medical assistance. EMS responded to the crash scene and transported the victims to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center where Pelaez was pronounced dead on arrival. Rodriguez-Mendoza was listed in critical condition and unresponsive. He succumbed to his injuries more than seven weeks later.
Collision reconstruction analysis by the NYPD’s Collision Investigation Squad (CIS) and corroborated by an independent expert engaged by OSI determined that the officer had the green light and was driving approximately five to nine miles above the posted speed limit of 30 MPH when the collision occurred.
Security camera video secured from earlier in the evening…
Read the full article here
