Students and Friends Mourn a Beloved Teacher Who Was Hit by a Rolls-Royce Driver in Brooklyn

What was meant to be a fun and enjoyable night ended in tragedy when a teacher was involved in a hit-and-run accident after celebrating his birthday with his friends and loved ones.

On Monday night, May 17, 2021, Matthew Jensen celebrated turning 58 with the support of his loving friends. However, the night turned tragic when he never made it home, and the happiness turned into sorrow.

According to the police, early on Tuesday, the Brooklyn teacher was struck by a driver driving a Rolls-Royce. The suspect didn’t stop but fled the scene, and Jensen was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.

Jensen’s P.S. 110 Monitor Elementary School students and his friends are now left to mourn his death. They remembered the late victim as a person and teacher who was loved by everyone he came across.

Jensen’s cousin, John Ogren, 64, said he couldn’t understand how someone could just hit and person and not stop to check on them. Ogren was still trying to come to terms with losing his cousin so suddenly.

He revealed how the car that hit Jensen had been speeding at the time of the accident. Ogren wanted to know how the murderer could just leave the scene without a car as if they’d hit a mouse, adding:

"I hope he just died right then, so there wasn’t any suffering.”

Ogren also noted how the vehicle driver couldn’t have missed that they’d hit someone because the teacher was a big man. No witnesses have come forward, and no surveillance footage is available at this moment.

However, the incident occurred nearby the noisy BQE and in an area where businesses were not open late.

However, sources said they believed the vehicle involved was a black Rolls-Royce due to debris left behind at the crosswalk. The incident occurred on McGuinness Boulevard and Bayard Street in Greenpoint.

Jensen’s students at the school were broken up about losing their teacher. The late teacher’s students erected a memorial wall that featured bouquets of flowers and handmade posters to mourn his death.

The hit-and-run victim was known for being grumpy at times, but his friends recalled him as someone who had a kind heart. He’d also cared about the environment, adored his students, and loved his cats.

At the moment, authorities are looking for the hit-and-run suspect and any witnesses to the crime. However, the incident occurred nearby the noisy BQE and in an area where businesses were not open late.

The NYPD has asked anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish. Tips can also be submitted by visiting the CrimeStoppers website.