Four people were arrested on weapons charges early Thursday morning after thei vehicle crashed in Dix Hills and they were rescued by Suffolk County police officers.
The police gave this account: Officers Shawn Arigoni and Michael Renna of the First Precinct saw a 2018 BMW speeding and swerving on Route 231 near Commack Road. The driver failed to pull over after the officers put on their lights and attempted to pull the vehicle over. They then discontinued the traffic stop attempt.
A short time later, the driver of the BMW, Eric Johnson, lost control of the vehicle on northbound Commack Road, just north of Burlington Avenue, and the vehicle crossed over the southbound lane, struck a tree, and overturned at 12:53 a.m.
Arigoni and Renna then came upon the vehicle, which had caught fire due to the crash. They, along with Police Officers Thomas Engelhardt and Ryan Carroll, pulled the driver and his three passengers from the vehicle. A fanny pack containing a loaded .40 caliber handgun was found in the vehicle. All four were treated for non-life-threatening injuries at Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip.
First Squad detectives charged Johnson, 22, of Medford with Criminal Possession of a Weapon 2nd Degree, Criminal Possession of a Weapon 3rd Degree, Criminal Possession of a Firearm, Criminal Contempt 2nd Degree and was issued multiple traffic violations.
Passengers Magaly Espinal 21, of Central Islip, Tazjan Derritt, 26, of Amityville, and Janell Funderburke, 19, of Coram, were charged with Criminal Possession of a Weapon 2nd Degree and Criminal Possession of a Firearm.
Funderburke was also charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 5th Degree, Criminal Possession of a Substance 7th Degree and Criminal Contempt 2nd Degree.
Johnson, Espinal and Derritt will be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on Friday. Funderburke has been admitted to the hospital and will be arraigned at a later date.