New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation has concluded that criminal charges will not be filed against an off-duty NYPD officer who hit and killed a 45-year-old Rockland County man on Route 303 in Orangeburg last December.

The findings, released Wednesday, October 21, follow an extensive investigation into the December 13, 2025, crash that claimed the life of William Huertas, 45, of Haverstraw.

According to investigators, Huertas had just finished his shift at the Lowe’s Home Improvement store at 206 Route 303 and was crossing the four-lane roadway at approximately 9:05 p.m. when he was hit by a pickup truck driven by off-duty NYPD Officer Justin Belhouji, who was traveling northbound in his personal vehicle.

Authorities said Huertas was crossing outside a marked crosswalk in a poorly lit area beneath the Joseph B. Clarke Rail Trail pedestrian bridge. Belhouji applied his brakes moments before the collision and immediately called 911. He and a passing nurse performed lifesaving measures until emergency personnel arrived.

Huertas was transported to Montefiore Nyack Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The investigation included witness interviews, surveillance footage, 911 recordings, cellphone records and a detailed collision reconstruction conducted by Orangetown Police.

Investigators also discovered that Belhouji’s pickup truck had an illegally tinted windshield that allowed just 28% of light to pass through, significantly below New York’s required 70%. The collision investigator determined that the tint further reduced the officer’s ability to see and react under the nighttime conditions.

The report also revealed that Belhouji declined to allow investigators to download data from his vehicle’s event data recorder, which can provide information about speed and braking before a collision.

Despite those findings, investigators determined there was insufficient evidence to establish that Belhouji was driving at an excessive speed, was impaired, was using his cellphone or was otherwise operating his vehicle in a manner that would support criminal charges.

The Attorney General’s Office concluded that prosecutors would not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer’s conduct met the legal standard for criminally negligent homicide.

As a result, the Office of Special Investigation closed its investigation without pursuing criminal charges against the officer.