NYPD
Aug. 23, By Christian Murray
The police are searching for a man who drove his vehicle into a police officer in Astoria Thursday night and then fled the scene.
The police officer was hit on Broadway and Crescent Street just before 9 p.m.
The incident began when two police officers tried to pull over a vehicle with Florida plates, since it matched the description of a pickup truck used in the robbery of a woman in East Elmhurst earlier in the day.
The vehicle in that robbery was stolen in Florida where the suspect resides.
Police say the suspect identified as Gary Sarback, 61, was driving a stolen Ford F-150, when he refused to stop and hit one of the officers.
The officers responded by firing their weapons. The suspect then crashed the truck a few blocks away and fled on foot.
The Queensboro Bridge was shut down briefly as cops canvassed the area.
The officer suffered non-life threatening injuries and was listed in stable condition at a hospital.
The suspect is described as a white male, about 225 pounds. He has a heavy build, was wearing glasses and had short, cropped hair.
The police were able to identify him by a cell phone that was left at the scene.
