Officer pulls suspect from burning car

The Mastic man pulled from a burning car after a police chase is someone who law enforcement officials sometimes refer to as a "frequent flier" in the criminal court system.

Before his arrest following an alleged high-speed pursuit and crash late Wednesday, Jason Martin, 29, was already a repeat visitor to Suffolk jails on charges ranging from loitering to felony assault, according to court records.

Martin was released yesterday morning from Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead to appear in a Central Islip courtroom. He is now additionally charged with unlawful fleeing from a police officer and six vehicle infractions, including aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

Martin's latest arrest stemmed from a traffic stop gone bad in Eastport, officials said.

Martin was at the wheel of a 1999 Chrysler Concord heading north on County Road 51 when a patrol officer spotted him driving erratically at 11:15 p.m., Suffolk police said. As the officer tried to pull him over, Martin sped away, then led the cop about seven miles up the road into Riverhead, crisscrossing the center lane as he went.

After several minutes, Martin lost control of the car, crashing into a tree in a wooded area on the east side of the road.

With his driver-side door pinned against a second tree, the car caught fire, police said.

The pursuing officer pulled over and dragged the injured Martin through the passenger side door. Martin was taken by ambulance to Peconic Bay Medical Center with unspecified injuries.

In addition to eight pending charges stemming from separate arrests in December 2009 and in April, Martin has been convicted seven times in Suffolk courts on drug, assault and other charges going back to 1999.

Martin pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Thursday, where he was represented by a Legal Aid attorney. He was held on $25,000 cash bail or $50,000 bond. A message left for a family member was not returned. -- With John Valenti