Former FDNY firefighter Michael Pena was sentenced Thursday to four to 12 years in prison for a 2025 crash that killed 23-year-old Justin Diaz in East Elmhurst, officials said.<\/p>\n
Pena, who was off duty at the time, was driving while intoxicated when he ran a red light and slammed his Mercedes-Benz into Diaz’s BMW as Diaz drove to work at LaGuardia Airport, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office.<\/p>\n
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the sentence Thursday after Supreme Court Justice Michael Hartofilis imposed the prison term.<\/p>\n
“Michael Pena disregarded the laws of our roads and killed an innocent young man as he traveled to work,” Katz said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors said a court-ordered blood test found Pena had a blood alcohol content of 0.17 \u2014 more than twice the legal limit of 0.08. They also said he had cocaine and marijuana in his system.<\/p>\n
According to prosecutors, Pena drove about 83 mph in a 25 mph zone and ran a steady red light before crashing into Diaz’s car.<\/p>\n
Pena, 29, of Oakland Gardens, pleaded guilty on July 1 to second-degree manslaughter and second-degree vehicular manslaughter.<\/p>\n
The crash happened shortly after 4 a.m. on Feb. 26, 2025, at Northern Boulevard and 107th Street in East Elmhurst. Diaz was taken to Elmhurst Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, officials said.<\/p>\n