A tragic incident in Brooklyn has led to a prison sentence for a local social media influencer and wigmaker. Miriam Yarimi, 33, was sentenced to 3 to 9 years in state prison after pleading guilty to charges of reckless manslaughter for a fatal crash that took place in March.
Yarimi admitted her guilt in a Brooklyn state court last month, acknowledging her role in the accident that claimed the lives of a mother and her two daughters. “I accept full responsibility for my actions,” she conveyed to Judge Danny Chun during her sentencing, where she appeared visibly emotional.
Prosecutors initially sought a harsher penalty, recommending a sentence ranging from 5 to 15 years. The crash’s victims, Natasha Saada, 34, and her daughters Diana, 8, and Deborah, 5, were crossing Ocean Parkway with Saada’s son, Philip, 4, who survived but was critically injured. The family was returning from Shabbat services when the incident occurred.
According to statements from Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, Yarimi was driving her Audi sedan at nearly 70 mph (113 kph) through a red light. The vehicle collided with a turning Toyota before striking Saada and her children. The car, identified by its license plate WIGM8KER, eventually came to rest about 130 feet (40 meters) from the crash site.
Despite a posted speed limit of 25 mph (40 kph), there was no evidence Yarimi attempted to slow down. She was operating the vehicle with a suspended license at the time of the crash, according to Gonzalez.
“This defendant is a reckless driver who cared about only herself when she raced in the streets of Brooklyn and wiped away nearly an entire family,” Gonzalez commented in a formal statement.
During the court proceedings, Yarimi expressed her remorse, stating, “There’s a lot of sorrow and pain, remorse, regret I feel in my heart for causing such an unspeakable tragedy.” She further added, “I hope and pray that my guilty plea, as well as my sentencing here today, will provide some degree of closure to the victims and their family members for all of the pain and suffering that my actions [caused].”
In the aftermath of the accident, New York City Mayor Eric Adams described the event as “a tragic accident of a Shakespearean proportion.” Adams remarked on the profound impact of the loss, stating, “This is extremely concerning and painful, not only to the City of New York in general, but specifically to a very close knit community.” He added, “A mother gone for a simple stroll on a sunny day was struck and killed. As we pray for their families and this entire community, the city mourns this loss.”
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