A man charged with two separate incidents of car theft — and one subsequent crash — in Austin reached a plea agreement Friday in Mower County court.

Michael Robert Nelson, 29, of Winona, pleaded guilty to one count of felony theft stemming from an incident last summer where he fled police in a stolen Nissan and crashed into another vehicle.

Other charges in that case, as well as charges from an incident this summer, were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

According to a court complaint, an Austin police officer saw Nelson parked in a downtown lot on Aug. 31, 2008.

The officer recognized Nelson from previous incidents and believed that he had a revoked license.

Nelson took off quickly in the Nissan, and the officer tracked the vehicle but did not engage in pursuit, according to the complaint.

After flying through a red light, Nelson crashed into a Chevrolet Blazer in the 900 block of First Drive Northwest, slightly injuring two passengers in that car.

Nelson and another man fled police by running through backyards in the area.

This summer, Nelson was again charged for stealing a vehicle.

According to a complaint, a woman called police on June 14 and said her boyfriend, Alexander Logan, 23, had told her he was driving a stolen vehicle.

Logan was arrested at his 310 Fourth Ave. S.W. home and told authorities that the man who stole the car was inside.

Nelson was found hiding inside the residence and was arrested.

Records indicate that Nelson has “revoked” driving privileges and has not had a valid license since 2000.

Nelson has also been convicted of motor vehicle theft on numerous occasions.