A Brooklyn woman whose luxury Audi bore the vanity plate “WIGM8KER” has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a March 2024 high-speed crash on Ocean Parkway that killed a mother and two of her children and severely injured a third child. Despite prosecutors’ strong objections, the defendant received a sentencing offer significantly below the maximum penalty.
The New York Post reports that Miriam Yarimi, 33, a wigmaker, entered her guilty plea last month before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chen, who indicated he would impose a sentence of three to nine years in prison. Brooklyn prosecutors had pushed for the full 15-year maximum and plan to submit a victim-impact letter before Yarimi’s formal sentencing on Wednesday, arguing for a longer term.
On March 10, 2024, Yarimi was driving her Audi A4 at extreme speed southbound on Ocean Parkway when she collided with an Uber, causing her vehicle to spin out of control. The car then struck Natasha Saada, 36, and her three young children who were on the sidewalk:
- Diana Saada, 7, and Dvorah Mazal (Deborah) Saada, 5, were killed.
- Four-year-old Philip Saada suffered severe, life-altering injuries.
- Their mother, Natasha Saada, died at the scene.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez called the incident “a tragedy caused by the callous choices of a chronically reckless driver,” adding that while the proposed sentence is less than prosecutors sought, it still “sends a clear message that reckless driving that ends in tragedy will be met with serious penalties.”
Court records and online traffic-violation databases show Yarimi was driving on a suspended license at the time of the crash. She had accumulated more than 93 traffic violations, including at least 20 speeding tickets and over $10,000 in unpaid fines.
Immediately after the collision, witnesses and first responders reported bizarre and disturbing statements from Yarimi. According to the criminal complaint, she told police, “The devil’s in my eyes,” “I’m haunted inside,” and repeatedly insisted, “I didn’t kill anyone. I didn’t hurt anyone. Prove it.”
The crash sent shockwaves through south Brooklyn’s Orthodox Jewish community and reignited longstanding complaints about speeding and safety along that stretch of Ocean Parkway.
Yarimi had previously won a $2 million civil settlement in 2023 from the City of New York, stemming from allegations that she was coerced into sexual activity with an NYPD officer when she was 14 years old.
Yarimi is currently being held on $250,000 bail ahead of Wednesday’s sentencing.