Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jordan Rosen was indicted by a grand jury and charged with murder in the second degree for the death of a 55-year-old Astoria man on April 5 during an alleged road rage incident that began on a Long Island Expressway exit ramp. Rosen pursued the other driver, who was on a motorcycle, hit him from behind and drove over him on Woodhaven Boulevard.

District Attorney Katz said: “Our roadways are not the place to settle disputes. As alleged, this defendant plowed his BMW SUV into a motorcyclist shortly after the two had a minor collision on the Long Island Expressway. As a result of Jordan Rosen’s actions, the motorcycle burst into flames and the driver was killed.”

Rosen, 42, of Ocean Harbor Drive in Oceanside, was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with two counts of murder in the second degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, reckless driving and operating a motor vehicle with a tinted window. Queens Supreme Court Justice Mary Bejarano who remanded the defendant and ordered him to return to court April 28. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years to life in prison.

According to the charges, on April 5, at approximately 9:21 a.m., Rosen was operating a 2024 BMW iX SUV on the eastbound exit ramp of the Long Island Expressway headed toward Woodhaven Boulevard. At the same time, William McField was operating a 2023 KTM motorcycle in the same vicinity and the vehicles came into contact with one another.

McField passed Rosen on the exit ramp of the Long Island Expressway and then drove through a steady red light and around traffic on Woodhaven Boulevard, heading south. Rosen ran through the steady red light as well, and pursued McField.

The victim maneuvered his motorcycle to the left side of the road, which was marked by zebra stripes and not laned for traffic. Rosen also maneuvered into the zebra stripes and accelerated towards McField until the BMW struck the motorcycle from behind. The force of the collision caused the front of the BMW to lift, mount the motorcycle, and run over McField. Rosen continued moving southbound on Woodhaven Boulevard until he struck another motorist operating a Mazda CX-5 in the center lane. During Rosen’s second collision, the motorcycle, still dragging beneath his car, burst into flames. Rosen’s vehicle came to rest against a lamp post in the center of the roadway.

McField was pronounced dead at the scene from severe body trauma.

The investigation was conducted by Detective Christopher Paul and Sergeant Robert Denig of the NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad.

Assistant District Attorney Graham Amodeo, 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 of the Homicide Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney John Kosinski, Bureau Chief, under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Shawn Clark.