An East Rutherford man has been sentenced to state prison after admitting he caused a crash that killed his passenger when a van slammed into a tree in Morris County.
MORRISTOWN, N.J. — An East Rutherford man will spend five years in state prison after pleading guilty in connection with a fatal crash that claimed the life of his passenger in Roxbury Township, authorities announced.
Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll said Alexander Serrano, 34, was sentenced June 18 to five years in New Jersey State Prison after pleading guilty to second-degree reckless vehicular homicide.
Under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act, Serrano must serve 85% of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
The case stems from a single-vehicle crash that occurred at about 5:30 a.m. on April 28, 2025, at the intersection of Howard Boulevard and Ledgewood Road/Mt. Arlington Road in Roxbury Township.
Responding officers found a heavily damaged 2003 Chevy Express van that had crashed into a tree.
Authorities said Serrano, who was driving the van, showed signs of being under the influence at the scene. He was transported to Morristown Medical Center for treatment before later being taken to the Morris County Correctional Facility and charged.
The van’s front-seat passenger, 30-year-old Esmeralda Melchar of East Rutherford, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Serrano pleaded guilty to reckless vehicular homicide on April 13 before Superior Court Judge Robert Hanna, who later imposed the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the New Jersey State Police, Roxbury Police Department, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit.
Key Points
- Alexander Serrano was sentenced to five years in state prison for reckless vehicular homicide.
- Prosecutors said Serrano showed signs of being under the influence after the crash.
- Passenger Esmeralda Melchar, 30, died when the van crashed into a tree in Roxbury Township.
