Speeding car collides into Lynbrook police vehicle, injures officer

Bryant Veal, 20, of New Jersey, arrested

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A Lynbrook police officer was injured early Friday morning after a group of luxury cars came speeding through the village and one of them struck his vehicle.

According to a joint statement released by Lynbrook Police Chief Brian Paladino and Mayor Alan Beach, at around 1:50 a.m., Nassau County police alerted neighboring communities that five or six luxury cars were racing out of Long Beach at speeds up to 140 mph. The NCPD attempted to stop the cars, but could not keep up with them and continued to pursue them at a safe distance.

The high-end cars then roared through Lynbrook along Sunrise Highway and came upon a Lynbrook Police Department vehicle that was traveling at legal speeds. One of the cars, a white BMW 18, which is worth about $136,000, tried to swerve around the LPD vehicle, but the driver lost control.

The driver, Bryant Veal, 20, of Trenton, N.J., hit the passenger-side door of the police vehicle, injuring the officer who was driving and severely damaging the car.

Veal was arrested and charged with second-degree assault, second-degree criminal mischief, fleeing from police and other vehicular and traffic law violations. The officer's identity was not released.

The officer was treated and released, and is recovering from his injuries at home, officials said.