A Brooklyn man has been charged in connection with an alleged insurance scam that played out in a dramatic crash on the Belt Parkway at the Nassau County border last month, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said Friday.
The seemingly staged collision in Rosedale near Valley Stream was captured on dashcam footage and widely shared online, drawing national attention to suspected “crash-for-cash” schemes in New York.
Maikel Martinez, 28, of Dyker Heights was arraigned in Queens court Thursday night on charges relating to the staged Oct. 16 collision, Katz said.
According to the charges, Ashpia Natasha was driving her Acura RDX in the left lane of the Belt Parkway about 11:11 a.m. when a silver Honda Civic abruptly cut in front of her and forced her to brake to avoid a collision. About two seconds later, the Civic reversed directly into Natasha’s vehicle.
Katz noted that the four Civic occupants, immediately after the collision, held up what appeared to be a plastic tarp inside the car to obscure their movements from Natasha and her dashcam. The prosecutor explained that three of the Civic’s occupants exited the car and walked toward Natasha’s car, with Martinez identifying himself to Natasha as “Maikel Martinez” and saying he was married to the supposed driver.
Meanwhile, the fourth suspect got into a red Kia that had been following closely behind and had pulled up in front of the wreck, the district attorney said. The Kia then drove away as Martinez and the two other Civic occupants (both are women) are seen in the Natasha’s dashcam video milling about, appearing bewildered and surveying the damage.
“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. “Countless lives were jeopardized due to this incredibly reckless conduct.”
Ongoing investigation
The prosecutor stressed that the investigation “is very much ongoing” and she 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.
Martinez was nabbed Thursday after arriving on a flight from Ecuador. He is charged with second-degree staging a motor vehicle accident, third-degree criminal mischief, first-degree reckless endangerment, fifth-degree conspiracy, and fifth-degree insurance fraud.
If convicted, he could face up to seven years in prison. His next court date is set for Jan. 7, 2025
Victim’s ‘happy’ reaction
Natasha, seated in her car, expressed her thanks to the NYPD and other authorities in a Tik Tok video she recorded on Friday using the cabin view of her dashcam.
“I’m just really happy right now. This is really, really good news,” she said, while urging others who may have been victims of the same scam to come forward and report their experiences to the police. “If anyone doesn’t have a dashcam, I highly encourage you to get one.”
Social media sleuthing
The case first gained widespread attention after Natasha shared dashcam footage of the crash on TikTok, sparking outrage and curiosity among viewers.
In the video, Natasha’s vehicle is seen slowing down after the Honda Civic swerves abruptly in front of her, then reverses and strikes her car. Three of the Civic’s occupants emerge, visibly clutching their heads and using their phones.
The occupant authorities have identified as Martinez even glances directly into Natasha’s dashcam. Natasha is meanwhile heard placing a phone call to the police.
The dashcam video sparked a search for the Honda Civic, with amateur sleuths tracking it down on social media. They identified a parked silver Honda Civic with body damage consistent with the crash and a matching license plate in Dyker Heights.
Videos and photos of the parked Civic were posted to social media. And within days the car was photographed park in front of a NYPD station in Brooklyn.
Natasha said her insurance company agreed to cover the $8,000 in damages to her car.
Prior Belt Parkway scam coverage
Greater Long Island’s coverage of the alleged insurance fraud attempt on the Belt Parkway began on Oct. 19.
Subsequent coverage included a report on internet sleuths tracking down the Honda. Civic involved in the alleged scam to Dyker Heights, Brooklyn.
Top image: Tik Tok video still/Ashpia Natasha