Woman Who Assaulted Officer Arrested After Brief Chase: NCPD

UNIONDALE, NY — A Queens woman was arrested after police say she fled a traffic stop and led officers on a chase in the early morning hours.

According to police, around 12:30 a.m. Thursday, officers saw a 2001 black Nissan Maxima commit multiple traffic violations near the intersection of Nassau Road and Uniondale Avenue in Uniondale. As the officers tried to pull the car over, police say the driver sped off and got onto the Southern State Parkway westbound at exit 21.

The car drove a short distance and then pulled over onto the shoulder, police said, and the driver got out of the car and fled on foot. After a brief chase, police arrested the driver — Crystal Martin, 34, of 162nd Street, Flushing. Police say the officers found multiple glass pipes containing what was believed to be crack-cocaine in the car.

An investigation found that Martin was involved in a disturbance in Baldwin on Dec. 7, police said. According to police, while officers were investigating the disturbance, Martin struck an officer with her car's side door multiple times before hitting a police car and then driving off. That officer was taken to a hospital for treatment of their injuries.

Martin was charged with second-degree assault, two counts of second-degree reckless endangerment, two counts of third-degree unlawful fleeing of a police officer in a motor vehicle, seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, third-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument and multiple vehicle and traffic law violations.

A passenger in the car — Dana Leak, 48, of Commercial Street, Freeport — was also arrested on an open Nassau County warrant. She was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

They were both scheduled to be arraigned later today.