Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Roosevelt Rose was convicted by a jury of murder, assault and other charges for the fatal hit-and-run crash that resulted in the death of 49-year-old Florence Ngwu, who was struck outside of her home on Mother’s Day in 2022. The victim’s daughter witnessed the fatal collision.

District Attorney Katz said: “On Mother’s Day, a daughter watched as her mother was fatally injured by a driver who had already hit a car repeatedly while making a three-point turn and then hit another vehicle. To continue to drive after so many collisions was remarkable. He then drove away in an attempt to escape any accountability. The depraved indifference shown by the defendant was extraordinary. The defendant was found guilty of murder and is facing up to 25 years to life at sentencing.”

Rose, 59, of 89^th Avenue in Jamaica, was convicted yesterday after a jury trial of murder in the second degree, assault in the first degree, criminal mischief in the third degree and leaving the scene of an incident without reporting.

Trial openings began on July 23 and summations took place yesterday. The jury deliberated for approximately two hours before reaching a verdict. Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Aloise set the defendant’s sentencing date for October 7 when he is facing up to 25 years to life in prison.

According to the charges and trial testimony, on May 8, 2022, at approximately 8:30 a.m., the defendant was driving a white 2019 Ford F-550 truck on 120^th Avenue, a dead-end street in South Jamaica. The truck belonged to a construction company and Rose had never driven such a truck before that day.

The defendant attempted to turn the truck around by executing a three-point turn in front of Florence Nguw’s home. He hit a BMW belonging to Ngwu’s daughter.

The noise of the collision drew 49-year-old Ngwu and her daughter outside. They called police to report the damage.

Instead of exiting the truck, Rose continued to try to turn it around and hit the BMW again causing significantly more damage. He ignored the shouts of bystanders for him to stop.

When he turned the truck parallel to the avenue to drive away, he accelerated and hit a parked Chevy Equinox and dragged it almost 15 feet without letting up. At the same time, Ngwu, her daughter and a neighbor were walking away. Rose smashed the Chevy Equinox into the trio and drove away.

Ngwu was pinned between the Chevy and another parked car. The impact lacerated her spinal cord, tore her brain stem and caused other critical injuries. She was taken to a hospital where she died the next day.

Rose abandoned the truck outside a church about a mile and half away from the crash site. Video surveillance captured him exiting the truck and walking away.

Assistant District Attorney Gabriel J. Reale of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Assistant District Attorney Brian Cox, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys John Kosinski, Bureau Chief, and Karen Ross and Jonathan Selkowe, Deputy Bureau Chiefs, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for the Major Crimes Division Shawn Clark.