CHASE HORROR
3 die as stolen car hits vehicle
A teenage driver fleeing cops in a stolen SUV slammed into another vehicle on Long Island over the weekend, killing an elderly couple in the other car, as well as his halfbrother, authorities said Sunday.
Nahriek Belford, 17, blew through a stop sign on Main Street in Yaphank at around 11:45 p.m. Saturday — right in front of Suffolk County cops, officials said.
The officers peeled out after the gray 2015 Nissan Rogue, authorities said.
When Belford allegedly refused to pull over, the cops radioed for back-up.
They stayed on him for a five-mile pursuit along Route 25, according to authorities.
The chase came to an abrupt and violent end at Birchwood Park Drive in Middle Island, where the stolen Nissan Tboned a 2009 Honda CR-V occupied by a couple turning in to their gated retirement community, cops said.
Jerome and Randee Weingarten, ages 74 and 71, respectively, were killed as the two vehicles collided.
In the Nissan, Belford’s halfbrother, Angelo, 19, was also killed, according to officials.
First responders freed the only two survivors, Belford and another one of his passengers, Jaquell Funderburke, 16, from the wreck and rushed them to Stony Brook University Hospital.
Their injuries are serious, officials said, but both are expected to survive.
Belford of Bellport was charged Sunday with reckless endangerment, and is expected to face added charges once he recuperates, authorities said.
His sullen father declined to give his name or comment outside the family home Sunday.
“No, can’t talk now,” he said before rushing off.
Belford stole the vehicle off Montauk Highway in East Patchogue on Thursday and replaced its license plates with a pair of decoy ones to throw off the heat, according to cops.
Suffolk police are also looking at their own actions in the minutes leading up to the deadly collision, including whether their officers should have carried on with the pursuit along the woods-lined state road, department sources said.
“They are not supposed to pursue high-speed chases,” said one department insider, adding that internal investigators may “pull the radio transmissions” of the officers involved.
Cops on Sunday declined to reveal exactly how fast the Nissan and the police vehicle were traveling, citing a probe into whether proper protocol was followed.