by Brian Harmon
A Brooklyn man has been arrested in connection with a dramatic insurance scam that unfolded on the Belt Parkway last month, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced on Friday.
The alleged “crash-for-cash” scheme, which took place near Rosedale and Valley Stream in Nassau County, was captured on dashcam footage and widely shared online, drawing national attention to the growing problem of staged collisions in New York.
Maikel Martinez, 28, of Dyker Heights, was arraigned in Queens court on Thursday night. He faces multiple charges related to the staged crash, which occurred on October 16, Katz confirmed.
According to the charges, Ashpia Natasha was driving her Acura RDX in the left lane of the Belt Parkway when a silver Honda Civic suddenly cut in front of her, forcing her to brake sharply to avoid a collision. Just moments later, the Civic reversed directly into Natasha’s vehicle, causing the crash.
After the collision, Katz said that the four occupants of the Civic attempted to cover their actions. They raised what appeared to be a plastic tarp inside the car to block their movements from Natasha’s dashcam. The prosecutor further explained that three of the occupants exited the Civic and approached Natasha’s car. Martinez introduced himself as “Maikel Martinez” and claimed to be the husband of the woman driving the Civic.
At the same time, the fourth suspect got into a red Kia, which had been tailing the Civic, and drove away from the scene, the district attorney reported. As the Kia fled, Martinez and the two other women remained at the scene, visibly inspecting the damage, as seen on the dashcam video.
“This defendant and his accomplices are accused of staging a dangerous crash on a busy highway, endangering the lives of countless drivers by deliberately causing a collision,” said District Attorney Katz. “Their reckless actions put everyone on that highway at risk for the sake of a fraudulent scheme.”
Martinez faces charges of insurance fraud, attempted grand larceny, and conspiracy, among other offenses. His arrest is part of a larger investigation into “crash-for-cash” schemes that target unsuspecting drivers for financial gain through staged accidents.
