Metro

State Senate big in crash

State Senate Minority Leader John Sampson smashed up his brand-new, state-owned car in a predawn crash in Brooklyn yesterday.

Sampson, who was alone, wasn’t hurt and no criminality was suspected in the accident, which was reported at 3:13 a.m., cops said.

Four unoccupied cars that were parked along 108th Street near Flatlands Third Street in Canarsie were also damaged when Sampson’s 2012 black Ford Taurus collided with one of them, setting off a chain reaction, according to the NYPD.

The powerful Brooklyn Democrat said he was driving to his district office to do some work when he swerved to avoid an animal in the road.

“A cat or something ran out in front of me, and I swerved to miss it, and I got into an accident,” he told The Post after arriving at his apartment last night.

Sampson, 47, had also planned to work out at a gym at about 6 a.m. and then spend a full day in court in connection with his private law practice, said his spokesman, Mike Murphy.

The crash scene is about six blocks from Sampson’s home and about a mile from his district office.

Murphy said that Sampson called 911 three times to report the mishap before cops arrived and that he remained at the scene.

Sampson wasn’t given a Breathalyzer test, and his car, which sustained “substantial damage,” had to be towed away, Murphy added.

“There was an accident. It was reported to the police immediately. It was found there were no violations, and no citations were issued,” Murphy said.

Sampson insisted nothing nefarious was afoot.

“No, there’s nothing bad going on, no DWI or nothing like that,” he said.

Sampson’s car is among seven 2012 Ford Tauruses that the state Senate bought this year, for $29,603 each, as part of a trade-in involving nine older government vehicles.

Sampson broke ranks with Gov. Cuomo earlier this year over pension reforms for government workers that were also backed by Mayor Bloomberg and many top Democrats.

Additional reporting by Daniel Prendergast