Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly announced a Queen man has been indicted after a fatal drugged-driving crash in Merrick.
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A Queens man was indicted on manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, assault and other charges involving a February crash on Sunrise Highway that killed a 70-year-old Nassau County Police Crossing Guard, District Attorney Anne Donnelly announced on Tuesday, March 31.
Joshua Alvarado was arraigned on charges of manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, assault, two counts of driving while ability impaired by drugs and driving while ability impaired by the combined influence of drugs. He pleaded not guilty and is due back in court on May 5, and if convicted, faces up to seven to 15 years in prison, according to the Nassau DA.
On Feb. 26, Alvarado was driving a commercial pickup truck eastbound on Sunrise Highway in Merrick, and while en route to a service call for an extermination business, he allegedly fell asleep at a red light at the intersection of Merrick Avenue and Sunrise Highway, Donnelly said.
After the light turned green, witnesses reported that the honking of fellow drivers startled him awake, and that he drove diagonally through the intersection, bearing left towards Merrick Avenue, mounted the curb, and hit 70-year-old John Miro, a Nassau County Police crossing guard who was standing on the sidewalk, the DA said.
Miro was clearing the sidewalk of snow and helping children cross the intersection moments before he was hit, she said. He suffered severe injuries, including blunt force trauma to his head, a broken hip, and multiple broken ribs, she said. Miro was taken to the hospital for emergency surgery and died from his injuries on March 6.
The investigation revealed that Alvarado was allegedly operating his vehicle under the influence of powerful sedatives and illegal street drugs, and a toxicology report confirmed that Alvarado was impaired by Xanax and Clonazepam when he hit Miro, Donnelly said.
Alvarado’s blood results also revealed the presence of an illegal and highly potent synthetic drug known as “street Xanax,” the DA said.