Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jamie Ferreira and Jennifer Sablan have been indicted for various crimes related to the August 2024 hit-and-run death of 56-year-old David Opiela. Ferreira is alleged to have been speeding in a U-Haul truck on Horace Harding Expressway when she struck the victim, who was standing on the sidewalk, hit another car and, along with Sablan, who was a passenger in the box truck, fled the scene. A search of the truck revealed a forged postal service key, a counterfeit $100 bill, multiple stolen credit cards, a stolen checkbook, and notebooks containing the personal and financial information of others.

District Attorney Katz said: “As alleged, a 56-year-old pedestrian was senselessly killed when he was struck by a speeding box truck operated by Jamie Ferreira. The defendant fled the vehicle with her passenger, Jennifer Sablan, and the contents of the U-Haul truck revealed that the duo were involved in other crimes, including identity theft. Thanks to the extraordinary collaboration between my office, the NYPD, the Postal Inspection Service, and the United States Secret Service, we were able to track down these defendants and charge them six months after the crash.”

Ferreira, 37, of 98th Street in Flushing, was charged in a 77-count indictment with manslaughter in the second degree, burglary in the second degree, criminal trespass in the second and third degrees, assault in the second degree, two counts of leaving the scene of an incident without reporting, reckless driving, driving in excess of the maximum speed limit, operating a vehicle at unreasonable speed, failing to obey a traffic control device and driving on a sidewalk.

Ferreira and Sablan, 43, of Ellis Avenue in the Bronx, were both charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument in the first degree, four counts of criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree, possession of burglar’s tools, and 59 counts of unlawful possession of personal identification information in the third degree.

If convicted, Ferreira faces up to 15 years in prison on the manslaughter charge, up to 25 years to life in prison on the burglary, and additional prison time on the other felony charges. Sablan faces up to 7 ½ to 15 years in prison.

Ferreira was arraigned Tuesday by Supreme Court Justice Michael Hartofilis. Sablan was arraigned yesterday by Justice Hartofilis. Both are scheduled to return to court March 13.

DA Katz said that, according to the charges and investigation, on August 9, 2024, the U-Haul truck was rented using an alias. Contact information used for the reservation was associated with both Ferreira and Sablan.

On August 20, at approximately 12:30 a.m., Ferreira was driving the rented 2015 Ford U-Haul box truck westbound on Horace Harding Expressway toward Kissena Boulevard. The vehicle was traveling at approximately 41 mph without activation of its brakes when Ferreira allegedly mounted the curb and struck 56-year-old pedestrian David Opiela of Flushing. After hitting the victim, Ferreira struck an overhead light pole and continued through a steady red light into the intersection where she struck another motorist, bringing the truck to a stop on the sidewalk.

Ferreira and her passenger, Jennifer Sablan, allegedly exited the damaged box truck from its passenger door and ran away from the crash scene down Horace Harding Expressway.

Opiela sustained severe head and body trauma from the collision and was pronounced dead by emergency responders.

DNA found on the truck’s steering wheel airbag was matched to that of Ferreira.

Following execution of a court-authorized search warrant, investigators found several items inside the box truck including a laptop computer; three cellphones; several metal keys and keyrings including a forged US Postal Service key; a flash drive; a checkbook; multiple stolen credit cards; a counterfeit $100 bill; a benefits card in Jennifer Ferreira’s name; and four notebooks filled with financial information such as the names, addresses and social security numbers of individuals, including some individuals who resided in an apartment building on Van Kleeck Street in Elmhurst. The building was the location of a burglary on June 28, 2024.

Ferreira allegedly gained entry into the Elmhurst apartment building during the early morning hours of June 28 and used a postal service key to take envelopes and packages out of residents’ locked mailboxes and packages from the mailroom.

The investigation was conducted by Detective Kevin Wallace of the NYPD Highway District Collision Investigation Squad, Detective Joseph Augello of the NYPD Financial Crimes Task Force, Detective Justin Smith of the 110 Detective Squad, and the District Attorney’s Detective Bureau with assistance from the USPS Postal Inspection Service and United States Secret Service.

Assistant District Attorney Vivian Gonzalez of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau is prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Assistant District Attorney Matthew Hauszpigel, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Jonathan Selkowe, Unit Chief of the District Attorney’s Vehicular Homicide Unit and Deputy Bureau Chief within the Homicide Bureau, John Kosinski, Bureau Chief of the Homicide Bureau, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Shawn Clark.