Queens man indicted for manslaughter in death of Nassau crossing guard

A Queens man faces manslaughter and other charges after allegedly striking and killing a Nassau County Police Crossing Guard in Merrick, prosecutors anounced on Tuesday.

Joshua Alvarado, 30, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a plethora of charges before Judge Robert Bogle in Mineola.

His arraignment came after a grand jury indictment that charges him with second-degree manslaughter, second-degree vehicular manslaughter, second-degree assault, and two counts of driving while impaired by drugs.

He was ordered held without bail and is due back in court on May 5. If convicted, Alvarado faces seven to 15 years in prison.

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Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said Alvarado was allegedly “highly impaired by a cocktail of sedatives and illegal street drugs” when he struck 70-year-old John Miro of Massapequa on Feb. 26 at the intersection of Merrick Avenue and Sunrise Highway.

Miro had just finished crossing pedestrians and was on the sidewalk when Alvarado’s pickup truck jumped the curb and hit him, authorities said. He died from his injuries eight days later in Nassau University Medical Center.

Witnesses reported that Alvarado, driving a commercial pickup truck for an extermination business, fell asleep at a red light, authorities said. When honking from other drivers startled him awake, he veered diagonally through the intersection, mounted the curb, and hit Miro, who was clearing snow.

Toxicology reports confirmed the presence of Xanax, Clonazepam, and a potent illegal synthetic drug known as ‘street Xanax’ in Alvarado’s system at the time of the crash, Donnelly said.

Miro suffered severe injuries, including blunt force trauma to the head, a broken hip, and multiple broken ribs. He had worked as a Nassau County crossing guard since retiring from his work as a tugboat operator.

“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. “We intend to seek justice for Miro’s family and the community that relied on his consistent, reassuring presence.”

_{Top: Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly speaking at podium (Facebook) and crash victim John Miro (inset).}