What to Know
- A Brooklyn man is facing a litany of charges for allegedly staging a car crash as part of an insurance fraud scheme by cutting off another driver on the Belt Parkway, forcing the driver to stop and then reversing into the victim's car -- an incident that was caught on the victim's dash cam and soon became a viral video, according to the local district attorney's office.
- Maikel Martinez, 28 and of Dyker Heights, was arraigned Wednesday night on charges of staging a motor vehicle accident in the second degree, criminal mischief in the third degree, reckless endangerment in the first degree, conspiracy in the fifth degree and insurance fraud in the fifth degree. He is scheduled to appear in court again on Jan. 7.
- If convicted, he faces up to 2 1/3 years to seven years in prison. Attorney information for Martinez was not immediately known.
A Brooklyn man is facing a litany of charges for allegedly staging a car crash as part of an insurance fraud scheme by cutting off another driver on the Belt Parkway, forcing the driver to stop and then reversing into the victim's car -- an incident that was caught on the victim's dash cam and soon became a viral video, according to the local district attorney's office.
Maikel Martinez, 28 and of Dyker Heights, was arraigned Wednesday night on charges of staging a motor vehicle accident in the second degree, criminal mischief in the third degree, reckless endangerment in the first degree, conspiracy in the fifth degree and insurance fraud in the fifth degree. He is scheduled to appear in court again on Jan. 7.
If convicted, he faces up to 2 1/3 years to seven years in prison. Attorney information for Martinez was not immediately known.
According to the charges, shortly after 11 a.m. on Oct. 16, Asphia Natasha was driving north in the left lane of the Belt Parkway in Rosedale near the Nassau County border, when a silver Honda Civic cut in front of her and coming into a stop, forcing Natasha to brake. The Honda then quickly backed into Natasha’s vehicle, damaging both cars. Subsequently, the occupants of the Honda allegedly held up an apparent tarp in the rear window area of the car that partially obstructed the victim’s view inside the Honda, at which point the occupants apparently switched their seats.
After the crash, four people exited the car including a woman who got out of the driver’s side and a man who identified himself as Martinez and said the purported driver was his wife. Another woman and man who exited the vehicle are still unidentified.
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Natasha's vehicle had dashboard cameras and captured the purported plot unfold.
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This footage also showed a red Kia Sport following Natasha’s car, according to the district attorney's office. After the crash, the Kia stopped in front of the Honda and one of the people inside the Honda got inside the Kia, leaving the scene.
“The defendant and others allegedly staged a crash on a busy highway and rammed an unsuspecting driver with their vehicle after they forcibly stopped her in the left lane of the Belt Parkway," katz said in a statement. "Countless lives were jeopardized due to this incredibly reckless conduct. This investigation is very much ongoing, and I encourage anyone who suspects that they may have been a victim in a staged car crash to call the NYPD Office of Fraudulent Collision Investigation Squad at 718-822-5403.”
The investigation is ongoing.
