Syracuse, NY -- When an airbag warning light on the dashboard of Emily Freshour’s 2004 Mercury Mountaineer wouldn’t go out, she brought the vehicle to a Syracuse auto shop in August to have it fixed. Imagine her surprise when an employee of New Century Auto, 950 W. Genesee St., called to tell her that her Mountaineer was demolished in a...
Syracuse, NY -- When an airbag warning light on the dashboard of Emily Freshour’s 2004 Mercury Mountaineer wouldn’t go out, she brought the vehicle to a Syracuse auto shop in August to have it fixed.
Imagine her surprise when an employee of New Century Auto, 950 W. Genesee St., called to tell her that her Mountaineer was demolished in a Thruway crash more than 20 miles away. The driver at the time of the crash was the father of the repair shop’s owner, state police said.
New Century Auto owner Zhixiong Dong, 32, of 1901 W. Genesee St., was charged Tuesday by state police with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor.
Dong, troopers said, allowed his father to take Freshour’s vehicle for an Aug. 26 trip to Utica. The vehicle crashed on the Thruway in the Madison County town of Lenox. Freshour told troopers she never gave permission for anyone to use her vehicle for a trip.
The address Dong gave troopers as his residence is the address of Dragon City, a Chinese restaurant. Employees at the restaurant said Dong was unavailable, but were able to direct a reporter to New Century Auto. An employee at New Century Auto said Dong was in Buffalo.
Troopers said charges were filed against Dong after the investigation into the crash was completed.