Man indicted in drugged driving crash that killed Long Island crossing guard
MERRICK, Long Island (WABC) -- A Queens man has pleaded not guilty to new charges in connection with a drug impaired driving crash that killed a longtime Nassau County police crossing guard.
Prosecutors say 30-year-old Joshua Alvarado was highly impaired when he struck 70-year-old John Miro along Sunrise Highway in Merrick on February 26.
Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly announced that a grand jury has indicted Alvarado on manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, assault and multiple drug impaired driving counts.
He has pleaded not guilty and could face up to 7 to 15 years in prison if convicted.
"A beloved crossing guard is dead because this defendant allegedly drove while highly impaired by a powerful mixture of sedatives and illegal street drugs," Donnelly said. "He allegedly struck down John Miro on the very sidewalk where he had helped children safely cross for years."
Prosecutors say a blood test shows Alvarado had at least three depressants in his system, including an illegal and highly potent form of Xanax when he fell asleep behind the wheel of his company's white pickup truck on Sunrise Highway and Merrick Avenue as he was heading to work.
They say another driver honked and Alvarado then accelerated through a traffic light, striking Miro right after he was clearing snow to help children cross the street.
He suffered severe injuries, including head trauma and multiple broken bones. He was rushed to Nassau University Medical Center but died about a week later, on March 6.
Donnelly hopes this case somehow sends a strong message about the growing problem of drugs and driving.
"You can't drive a car when you're taking drugs that impair your response time, your vision, your awareness of what's going on around you," she said.
Alvarado is due back in court on May 5.
Miro's family was in court on Tuesday but was too upset to speak about the case. He had been working as a crossing guard since 2023 as a second career after working as a tugboat operator.
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