By: Richard L. Smith
Authorities in Passaic County have charged a 26-year-old Orange man in connection with a deadly crash on Route 21 that claimed the life of a Paterson resident earlier this year.
According to Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Passaic Police Chief Luis Guzman, Danny Serrano, 26, was arrested October 13 following an investigation into the July 6, 2026, collision.
Officials said the crash occurred around 4:15 a.m. on Route 21 South near the Dayton Avenue exit in Passaic, involving a white Toyota Camry and a gray Toyota Camry.
Both drivers were transported to Saint Joseph’s University Medical Center, where the driver of the gray Camry, a 32-year-old Paterson man, was pronounced dead.
Investigators determined that Serrano, who was driving the white Camry, allegedly had a blood alcohol concentration above the legal limit when he struck the victim’s vehicle.
Authorities also determined that the collision occurred within 1,000 feet of Muhammad Ali School No. 23.
Serrano faces charges of second-degree death by auto and first-degree death by auto within 1,000 feet of a school.
He was arrested without incident and is awaiting his first court appearance at Central Judicial Processing.