Police: Man Steals Car, Crashes It Into Patchogue Store

Police say a man driving a car he had just stolen crashed through a Patchogue storefront Tuesday afternoon as police were attempting to pull him over. 

The car crashed fully through Avenue Sound, located at 260 E. Main Street, around 2:47 p.m, police said. A woman inside the store suffered minor injuries and refused medical attention at the scene, police said. 

Police said the driver, Michael Nash, of Patchogue, stole the 2008 Honda from outside Jiffy Lube, located at 452 Medford Avenue. The keys were in the car's ignition when it was stolen, police said. 

At the same time, police officer Gary Quenzer was responding to a call at Terry Brothers Tires, located at 522 Medford Avenue Patchogue, where Nash had attempted to steal a 2005 Ford pickup, police said. 

Quenzer observed Nash, 20, leaving the Jiffy Lube with the stolen vehicle and attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but Nash continued to drive down Route 112 at a high rate of speed before eventually losing control of the vehicle and crashing into Avenue Sound, police said. 

Nash was taken to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center, where he was treated and released into police custody. 

Nash is charged with third degree grand larceny, third degree attempted grand larceny, third degree unlawfully fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle and second degree reckless endangerment. He will be held overnight and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on Wednesday.