Valley Stream Man Charged After Driving Drunk with a Toddler in the Car

On a seemingly ordinary morning on Sunrise Highway, a Honda CR‑V began to wobble from side to side, drawing the attention of nearby officers. The driver, 28‑year‑old Elmer Martinez‑Serrano of Valley Stream, was soon pulled over by Nassau County police.

When the troopers approached, they smelled alcohol on his breath and quickly determined he was over the legal limit. Adding a shocking twist to the stop, a three‑year‑old girl was sitting in the back seat, unnoticed by the driver until the officers asked for a look inside.

The child, who was later handed over to a family member, was unharmed. Still, the presence of a toddler in a vehicle driven by an intoxicated adult is a serious breach of public safety.

Martinez‑Serrano now faces a stack of charges: DWI, aggravated DWI with a child under 16 in the vehicle, endangering the welfare of a child, plus several standard traffic violations. He will appear in court later this month.

Police reminded the community that drunk driving endangers everyone on the road, especially the most vulnerable. "Putting a child in a car while impaired is absolutely unacceptable," said a spokesperson for the Nassau County Police Department.

Residents of Valley Stream and the surrounding Five Towns area are encouraged to report any suspicious driving behavior and to consider alternative transportation if they’ve been drinking.