Cops: Seat belt check ends in crash, arrest

A seat belt safety inspection Friday in Westbury turned into a police pursuit, followed by a two-car crash and two men being charged with assault and leaving the scene of an accident, Nassau County police said.

Second Precinct officers said they were conducting a seat belt safety check about 11:50 a.m. on the entrance ramp of the Northern State Parkway at Brush Hollow Road when they saw the passenger of a Toyota wasn't wearing a seat belt.

Police told the driver, Lavarr Cannon, 26, of Baldwin, to pull over, and as officers approached, Cannon sped off in the Toyota, police said.

Officers found the car on Old County Road at Bond Street, but the Toyota was on fire and had slammed into a PT Cruiser driven by a 58-year-old man, police said.

Cannon and a passenger, later identified as Everett Caban, 27, of Freeport, had fled the car, police said.

An extensive search by police found Cannon and Caban on the roof of a parking garage at 1025 Old Country Rd, police said. Inside the Toyota police found marijuana, cash and Caban's right sneaker, which was missing from his foot, according to police.

The 58-year-old crash victim suffered multiple pelvic fractures and a collapsed lung. He was admitted to a hospital, police said.

Police charged Cannon with first-degree assault, criminal possession of a weapon, leaving the scene of an accident and fleeing police. Cabin was charged with criminal sale of marijuana, unlawful possession of marijuana and not wearing a seat belt.

Both men were awaiting arraignment Saturday in First District Court in Hempstead.