Long Island man indicted for murder of Astoria motorcyclist in fatal Rego Park road rage crash: DA

Surveillance video shows William McField, an Astoria motorcyclist, moments before he was struck and killed on Woodhaven Boulevard during a road rage incident involving Jordan Rosen. Courtesy of IX Legal.

April 25, 2025 By Bill Parry

A Long Island man turned himself in at the 112th Precinct in Forest Hills on Friday morning after a Queens grand jury indicted him for the murder of a motorcyclist from Astoria during a fatal road rage incident in Rego Park.

Jordan Rosen, 42, of Ocean Harbor Drive in Oceanside, was arraigned in Queens Supreme Court later on Friday on an indictment charging him with two counts of murder in the second degree for the death of 55-year-old William McField, of Steinway Street, during an alleged road rage incident that began on a Long Island Expressway ramp. Rosen pursued McField, rammed his motorcycle from behind, and drove over him on Woodhaven Boulevard.

Rosen surrendered to police at the 112th Precinct two days after a Wall Street law firm, representing McField’s family in a wrongful death action, released terrifying video surveillance footage that captured the fiery collision.

“The death of William McField was an avoidable tragedy that never should have happened,” IX Legal Founder Michael Iakovou said. “We are thankful for the investigation by the Queens District Attorney’s Office and want to see justice for William and his family.”

According to the charges, on April 5, at approximately 9:21 a.m., Rosen was behind the wheel of a 2024 BMW iX SUV on the eastbound exit ramp of the Long Island Expressway headed toward Woodhaven Boulevard. At the same time, McField was riding a 2023 KTM motorcycle on the same ramp when the vehicles came into contact. McField passed Rosen on the ramp and headed southbound on Woodhaven Boulevard through a steady red light and around traffic at 60th Drive. Rosen ran through the steady red light as well and pursued McField.

McField’s motorcycle exploded from the impact after Rosen rammed him from behind. Courtesy of IX Legal

The victim maneuvered his motorcycle to the left side of the road, which was marked with zebra stripes and not laned for traffic. Rosen veered into the zebra stripes and accelerated towards McField until the SUV slammed into the motorcycle. The force of the collision caused the front of the BMW to lift up, mount the motorcycle, and run over McField, who had been ejected onto the roadway. Rosen continued moving southbound on Woodhaven Boulevard until he struck another motorist driving a Mazda CX-5 in the center lane.

Following his arraignment in Queens Supreme Court on Friday, Rosen was remanded into custody without bail. He faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted. Courtesy of IX Legal

During Rosen’s second collision, the motorcycle, still dragging beneath his vehicle, burst into flames. Rosen’s SUV came to a rest against a light post in the center of the roadway.
EMS responded to the location and pronounced McField dead at the scene from severe body trauma.

“Our roadways are not the place to settle disputes,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “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 was additionally charged with criminal possession of a weapon, reckless driving and operating a motor vehicle with a tinted window. Queens Supreme Court Justice May Bejarano remanded Rosen into custody without bail and ordered him to return to court on April 28. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years to life in prison.