Story by Ethan
On March 31st, 2026, the arrest of Joshua Alvarado, age 30, was announced by Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly. Joshua Alvarado was charged with second-degree Manslaughter, second-degree Vehicular Manslaughter, second-degree Assault, two counts of Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs, and Driving While Ability Impaired by the Combined Influence of Drugs. The arrest and charges against Joshua Alvarado were a result of an investigation handled by the Nassau County Police Department’s 1st Precinct.
According to the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, at approximately 8:00 a.m. on February 26th, 2026, Joshua Alvarado was operating a commercial pickup truck while on a service call for the extermination company he was employed at. The defendant was heading eastbound on Sunrise Highway in Merrick, New York, when he allegedly fell asleep at the wheel right before a red light on the Merrick Avenue intersection. When the light turned green witnesses reported multiple other drivers honking at him to move which did wake Joshua Alvarado up. After being woken up by the honking, the defendant began to drive to the left while crossing diagonally over the Merrick Avenue intersection. Prior to Joshua Alvarado making the turn, the victim was clearing snow off the crosswalk and assisting children cross the Merrick Avenue intersection. During the lefthand turn the defendant allegedly hit the curb and struck the victim, 70-year-old John Miro, who was standing on the sidewalk working as a crossing guard for the Nassau County Police. The collision caused John Miro to sustain blunt force trauma to the head, a broken hip, and multiple broken ribs. The victim was swiftly transported to Nassau University Medical Center where he had to undergo emergency surgery, however his condition continued to deteriorate over time before he was pronounced dead on March 6th, 2026. The following investigation into the crash uncovered that Joshua Alvarado was allegedly under the influence of illegal substances and sedatives while operating the vehicle. It was determined that the defendant was specifically impaired by Xanax and Clonazepam at the time of the collision according to the results of toxicology reports. Blood tests done on Joshua Alvarado also revealed that while driving the truck he was under the influence of a potent synthetic drug known as “street Xanax”.
The Nassau County District Attorney’s Office stated that the charges against Joshua Alvarado are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
