Override Auto Sync
My son was having similar problem with his IPOD touch. After some research we discovered that if you override the auto-Sync, you will be able to get into Itunes. Once in there, press 'sync' on the lower right corner and it will perform the process without quitting unexpectedly. To override the auto-sync do the following:
Start Itunes by itself.
Press the 'Option' and 'Command' together and hold them down.
Plug in your device and while holding down the two buttons. Wait until Itunes recognizes the device.
Once you are in Itunes, sync the device again and from that point on, every time you plug it in, it should work the way it is mean to. It worked for us. Good luck.