Peter Morris, 80, struck and killed by driver of stolen vehicle in Farmingdale near Woodward Parkway School, police say

An 80-year-old Vietnam War veteran was killed in South Farmingdale on Friday morning when a man driving a stolen car struck his SUV, then fled the crash scene and was later arrested, according to the Nassau County Police Department. 

The crash occurred around 11:41 a.m. after Peter Morris, of South Farmingdale, had gotten into his parked 2012 Hyundai in front of 95 Woodward Pkwy., according to police. That’s when Randy Colon, 24, of Hicksville, struck Morris' SUV with a 2013 Nissan, causing his death, and then took off on foot, police said. Officers found him and arrested him.

Morris' eldest daughter, Suzanne Rysanek, told Newsday they were at her daughter’s Veterans Day assembly at Woodward Parkway Elementary School before the crash.

At the time of the crash, Morris had been sitting in the driver’s seat. The impact caused Morris’ vehicle to rear-end an unoccupied vehicle in front of his, and that vehicle in turn crashed into a third vehicle, according to a felony complaint signed by Nassau police Det. Thomas A. Roche. The impact propelled Morris’ vehicle “off the shoulder, across the grass and sidewalk, and into a parked vehicle in the elementary school parking lot.”

The Altima spun around, crashed into one of the other vehicles and caught fire in the engine compartment, according to the complaint, which says Colon later told Roche that he stole the Altima but didn’t say from where. It matches the description of a vehicle reported stolen in Suffolk, the complaint says. 

Rysanek described Morris as "an amazing father of four. He had six grandchildren. He lived and breathed for his children and his grandchildren and his family."

He "lived to watch movies, old movies," and "The Magnificent Seven" was his favorite, she said.

Morris "always had something funny to say. Had a lot of good one liners," his daughter said, describing him as "very funny and loud and boisterous."

Regarding the Veterans Day assembly, Rysanek said Morris "sat in the front with a big smile on his face the entire morning telling everybody about himself and his life and his children and how proud he was to be sitting there today."

"And all of these little kids came up to him and thanked him and hugged him," she said. "We got some great pictures and videos of him, which now I’ll never forget."

Morris' wife died in June, Rysanek said. "I think he’s with my mom right now — I know he’s with my mom right now."

Colon was charged with manslaughter, criminal possession of stolen property, grand larceny and leaving the scene of an incident resulting in death.

He was arraigned Saturday and ordered jailed without bail, according to Nicole Turso, a spokeswoman for the county district attorney's office. The case is due back in court Nov. 12.

No lawyer for him could be immediately identified.

Newsday's Alek Lewis contributed to this story.