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Merrick, NY (February 28, 2026) – A school crossing guard remains in critical condition after being struck by a pickup truck on Thursday morning, February 26, at an intersection on Sunrise Highway in Merrick. The crash happened while the guard was on duty near the roadway.
Police said 30-year-old Joshua Alvarado was stopped at a traffic light in a 2020 Toyota pickup when he fell asleep behind the wheel. Investigators believe another driver honked to alert him, and when Alvarado accelerated, he lost control of the truck. The vehicle made a left turn onto Merrick Avenue, mounted the curb, and struck 70-year-old crossing guard John Miro.
Miro suffered severe injuries, including broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a skull fracture, and a brain bleed. He was taken to Nassau University Medical Center, where he remains in intensive care. Family members attended Alvarado’s arraignment on Friday and spoke emotionally about Miro, who had worked as a crossing guard since 2023 after a career as a tugboat operator.
Alvarado was arraigned on charges of assault and driving while impaired by drugs. According to the criminal complaint, he showed signs of impairment and told officers he had taken Xanax, Tramadol, and Clonazepam the night before. Authorities continue to investigate the incident.
We are keeping Mr. Miro and his loved ones in our thoughts as he continues to fight for recovery.
How Impaired Driving Can Lead to Severe Pedestrian Injuries
Crashes involving impaired drivers often unfold quickly and leave little time for pedestrians to react. Even at low speeds, a vehicle leaving the roadway can cause life-altering injuries to someone on foot.
Medications that affect alertness or reaction time may increase the risk of losing control, especially when combined with fatigue. Intersections are particularly dangerous because drivers must process multiple signals, vehicles, and people at once.
In pedestrian crashes, investigators typically review vehicle movement, traffic signal timing, and driver condition. Injury patterns can also help explain how the impact occurred and why the outcome was so severe, especially when a vehicle mounts a curb or leaves its lane unexpectedly.
