Driver arrested for critically injuring crossing guard in Merrick was high on drugs, DA says

An alleged impaired driver from Queens struck a Nassau County crossing guard on Thursday morning in Merrick, leaving the 70-year-old crossing guard critically injured, authorities said.

The crossing guard, a man, was struck "by a driver who was high on some type of drug," said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said the crossing guard, whose name was not released, is a retired tugboat operator who has worked part time as a crossing guard since 2023.

"This is an individual that loved his job," said Blakeman, speaking at a news conference. "I spoke with his wife this morning at the hospital, and she said he absolutely loved being a crossing guard. ... He was somebody that went out, each and every day, with the thought of protecting our young people, protecting the children that were going to and from school. So he was a terrific guy from all accounts."

Blakeman — who along with Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder and Kris Kalender, president of CSEA Local 830, visited the victim at Nassau University Medical Center — said Thursday afternoon that the victim "is recovering from emergency surgery and his injuries are ‘very very serious.’ ”

Joshua Alvarado, 30, of Rosedale, Queens, was driving a white Ford pickup truck that struck the crossing guard, authorities said. Alvarado was arrested and charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs, vehicular assault and second-degree assault. He is scheduled to be arraigned Friday.

A lawyer for Alvarado could not be reached Thursday.

The crash occurred near the Merrick Long Island Rail Road station, said Nassau Police Det. Tracey Cabey, a department spokesperson.

The crossing guard, who was wearing his reflective vest and a hat, had just completed a crossing across Sunrise Highway when he was struck at 8:03 a.m., Ryder said.

As he returned to the sidewalk, the turning lane light turned green, Ryder said. Alvarado's vehicle was fourth in line, Ryder said.

"He appeared to have fallen asleep driving the car," said Ryder, who said car horns honked at Alvarado.

"He then, a couple of honks of a horn, he went forward, as he came into the turn to go northbound on Merrick Avenue," said Ryder. "He swung the turn far right, outside of the lane, jumped the sidewalk, struck the crossing guard."

Police officers and "some very brave civilians" jumped to the guard’s aid, Ryder said. He was taken by ambulance to Nassau University Medical Center and is in critical condition.

Blakeman thanked the civilians who came to the man’s aid and called one unknown guy "definitely a good Samaritan."

"Everyday folks that were going to or from work, they stopped what they were doing to assist this individual crossing guards," Blakeman said. So we're very grateful."

There are some 400 crossing guards deployed across Nassau and they're assigned to specific intersections, not schools, officials said.

Blakeman said police could not immediately confirm a report that the crossing guard had been shoveling snow before he was struck.

"The investigation is still pending, but from what we've heard from other people and some of the things that they said about him, we're not surprised," Blakeman said. "He was that kind of guy. “

The crossing guard being struck came just a month after Nassau Police Officer Patricia Espinosa was killed by an alleged drunken driver in Suffolk. Donnelly appealed to the public to stop driving while under the influence.

"This driving while you're high, driving while you're drunk, has got to stop," she said, adding Alvarado could be facing additional charges.