A mother and her two young daughters were killed in a devastating car crash in Brooklyn yesterday, as a vehicle operated by a driver with a suspended license struck them. The family, identified as Natasha Saada, 35, Diana, 7, and Debra, 5, were walking home from synagogue when the collision occurred. An Audi, driven by Miriam Yarimi, hit an Uber before careening into the family, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, as reported by Gothamist.
The incident, which also injured nine other people, unfolded on Ocean Parkway close to Quentin Road. Yarimi's Audi collided with a Toyota Camry before impacting the family as they used the crosswalk. Natasha Saada and her two daughters were pronounced dead at the scene, while her son Phillip, 4, remains in critical condition. The driver of the Camry, a 62-year-old man, was taken to a hospital in stable condition, stated The New York Post. Yarimi, who has a history of driving recklessly, according to "How's My Driving," accrued numerous traffic violations in the last year. Despite her arrest, charges against her have not been filed as of early Sunday.
Mayor Eric Adams referred to the horrible accident as a “Shakespearean proportions.” An eyewitness described the alarming sound of the crash to The New York Post, saying, “It went on for a good 30 seconds. It felt like the world stopped for that second.” Amidst the chaos, residents offered support, gathering around the Saada family as they faced this loss.
As the community reacts, the 4-year-old boy, who underwent successful surgery following the crash, shows signs of recovery. "The child will make it. The surgery was successful. Everyone is talking about it. The whole hospital is talking about it. All of Brooklyn is talking about it,” a family friend offered in a statement obtained by The New York Post. In the wake of the accident, neighbors spoke highly of Natasha Saada, with one calling her “an angelic woman” and praising her as "a stellar woman with good qualities and was a great mom."
