Bklyn Wigmaker Charged With Multiple Felonies in Fatal Shabbat Crash That Killed Mother and Two Daughters

Tragedy Raises Serious Questions About Traffic Enforcement Failures

By: Fern Sidman

In a tragedy that has shaken New York’s Orthodox Jewish community to its core, a 32-year-old Brooklyn wigmaker named Miriam Yarimi now faces multiple felony charges following a horrific crash that killed a mother and her two young daughters, and critically injured her 4-year-old son. The fatal incident, which took place on Saturday in Gravesend, unfolded just moments after the family had left Shabbat services and was attempting to cross Ocean Parkway — a major thoroughfare in southern Brooklyn, as was reported by The New York Post.

Yarimi, who goes by “Ellie” and operates a wig-making business — a detail emblazoned on her Audi A4’s vanity plate reading “WIGM8KER” — has been charged with three counts of second-degree manslaughter, three counts of criminally negligent homicide, and four counts of second-degree assault, police told The New York Post. Investigators say Yarimi was driving with a suspended license at the time of the crash — a violation that should have kept her off the road, but clearly did not.

According to the information provided in The New York Post report, the tragedy began when Yarimi’s black Audi collided with a Toyota Camry operating as an Uber. The force of that impact propelled her car into a crosswalk filled with pedestrians — nine in total — at the intersection of Ocean Parkway and Quentin Road in the heavily Orthodox Jewish neighborhood of Flatbush. Dashcam footage posted on X (formerly Twitter) by @NYScanner captured the horrifying moment the Audi slammed into Natasha Saada and her children — Diana (7), Deborah (5), and Philip (4). Natasha and her two daughters were killed instantly; Philip was rushed to the hospital, where he remains in critical condition, according to The New York Post.

In the chilling footage, Yarimi’s Audi can be seen flipping onto its side as it careens through the intersection. Miraculously, other nearby pedestrians narrowly escaped being hit. The Post reported that the crash scene quickly became a site of chaos, horror, and heartbreak as emergency responders arrived to find shattered lives and mangled wreckage.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams addressed the incident Sunday, referring to it as a “really, really tragic tragedy,” The New York Post reported. Adams emphasized the preventable nature of the crash, stating, “The person should not have been on the road.[They had a suspended license. We’re going to ensure that this is investigated to the full extent.”

Adams later visited the home of the grieving family, where a friend of the Saadas told The New York Post, “The surviving little boy needs our prayers. He’s in the hospital. He needs our prayers.”  The family has asked that everyone say Tehillim for the 4-year old. His name in Hebrew is Pinchas Raphael Ben Sarah.

Perhaps most shocking is Yarimi’s long and deeply troubling driving history, which had seemingly gone unaddressed by authorities despite repeated violations. According to public records reviewed by The New York Post and accessed via the online site How’s My Driving, Yarimi’s Audi had racked up more than 93 traffic violations — including 20 speeding tickets and five red-light infractions, many in school zones. Since August 2023 alone, 20 of those tickets were for speeding caught by automated cameras. In total, her vehicle had amassed over $10,000 in unpaid fines, a staggering record that raises serious questions about the enforcement of traffic safety laws in New York City.

Among the most damning details: Yarimi received a speeding ticket for racing through a Brooklyn school zone on March 16, just two weeks before the fatal crash. The New York Post’s findings suggest a systemic failure to penalize or remove chronically dangerous drivers from public roads — especially those who demonstrate blatant disregard for pedestrian safety in high-risk areas.

Yarimi’s life has not been without trauma. The New York Post reported that she previously settled a lawsuit against the NYPD for $2 million after alleging that she was sexually assaulted by a police officer at the age of 14. While this tragic chapter of her youth may evoke sympathy in some quarters, critics argue it does not absolve her of responsibility in a crash that has left a community in mourning.

Yarimi’s estranged husband, when contacted by The New York Post on Sunday, declined to comment on the incident.

The Saada family, like many others in Gravesend, had been walking home from synagogue services when the crash occurred — a common tradition in observant Jewish communities on Shabbat. Their lives were cut short in a matter of seconds by a driver who, based on extensive violations and a suspended license, should never have been behind the wheel.

According to The New York Post report, funeral services for Natasha Saada and her daughters are scheduled for 4:30 pm on Sunday at the Shomrei Hadas Funeral Home in Borough Park, after which their bodies will be transported from JFK Airport to Israel for burial.

As the community reels and the legal process unfolds, this tragedy has sparked urgent conversations about the city’s traffic enforcement policies, the gaps in oversight for suspended drivers, and the moral imperative to protect pedestrians — especially children — from known repeat offenders.

What happened in Gravesend is not just a tragic accident; it is the culmination of multiple systemic failures, and the Saada family has paid the ultimate price. As more details come to light — and as the city promises a full investigation — the questions raised by The New York Post’s report must be addressed, not just with statements of condolence but with actionable policy reform.

Until that happens, the residents of Brooklyn — and indeed all New Yorkers — are left with a haunting reminder that every unchecked violation, every unheeded warning, and every suspended license ignored is a tragedy waiting to happen.