Police say a Medford man was nearly killed in a car accident just to have his identity stolen by his roommate.

Anthony Giordano, 47, was arrested Friday on charges he stole Geoffrey MacMurdo's identity. MacMurdo says his roommate racked up $100,000 in credit card charges under his name.

Police say Giordano set the crime in motion two years ago, when MacMurdo lost his leg in a car crash on the 59th Street Bridge. While paramedics worked on saving MacMurdo's life, cops say Giordano lied to them about his relationship to the victim.

?He told police that he was my brother and they gave him my wallet and everything because I was unconscious,? MacMurdo said.

Police say Giordano used the credit cards to buy a Jeep and charged tabs at a strip club. He also took out new cards in MacMurdo?s name.

MacMurdo found out several months later when creditors started calling him. He called police and Giordano skipped town. Police tracked him down in South Carolina and brought him back to Long Island where he faces identity theft and grand larceny charges.