This week in New York, a viral car accident escalated road rage to a new extreme.
According to dashcam footage, a group of individuals attempted to stage a fraudulent incident by reversing their car into another vehicle.
The video captures the alleged scammers' vehicle traveling along NYC's Belt Parkway in Queens, maneuvering in front of the dashcam driver, Ashipa Natasha, narrowly avoiding a collision.
Upon Natasha braking, the silver car abruptly stopped in front of her vehicle and then swiftly reversed into her car.
While the group documented the damages with photos, Natasha stayed inside the car throughout the video. Towards the end, one of the passengers seemed to notice the presence of Natasha's dashcam.
“I was driving in the left lane of the Belt Parkway heading Eastbound towards the Southern State Parkway. The silver Honda (LBB 8917) was in the middle lane and abruptly cut me off, then slammed on the brakes, coming to a sudden stop, hoping for a collision,” Natasha explained in the caption.
“Despite not hitting their vehicle, they reversed into my car, causing a collision, and pretended to be injured as they exited their car. I suspect their motive was to frame me for insurance fraud,” she added.
Noting that the driver switched to the passenger seat before anyone exited the vehicle, Natasha recounted that “the first three passengers feigned injuries as they left the car, while the fourth, who was the driver, slipped out through the passenger side and got into another vehicle.” Natasha alleged that the red KIA SUV that followed her “circled back to pick up the driver and flee the scene.”
“The demeanor of the remaining three individuals changed once one of them spotted the dashcam. They emerged from the car only to document the damage on both vehicles with their phones,” Natasha continued. “They promptly requested my insurance information, and after the exchange, they swiftly departed. I immediately contacted the police, reporting the incident as an accident, but they informed me that they do not respond to accidents without injuries if the parties are cooperative in exchanging information. At that moment, I was unaware that the driver had switched vehicles or that it was a premeditated scheme, as I was alone and everything unfolded rapidly.”
‘Oh my God, what is he doing?’ she exclaimed in the video.
Natasha was on speakerphone with her husband and said, “I just got into an accident; I'm not sure what's going on. This guy just backed into me, what's happening?”
In her post, she reiterated: “The silver Honda was in the middle lane, and they cut me off and slammed on the brakes, coming to a full stop hoping I would hit them. I did not hit their car, and because of that, they reversed into my car, causing a collision.”
Natasha claimed that the two passengers in the back used a ‘tarp’ to cover the rear windshield so the male driver could switch places with the female passenger.
Four passengers then exited the vehicle, pretending to be injured and inspecting the damage to their bumper.
Natasha stated: “I believe the intention was to say I hit their car for insurance fraud purposes.”
One female passenger, exiting from the driver's side, began recording both vehicles. Another female passenger started documenting the crash and took a picture of Natasha's license plate.
A red Kia pulled up in front of the silver car, picked up the suspected male driver, and drove away.
Natasha recalled that the remaining passengers' demeanor changed once they noticed her dashcam.
‘They only came out of the car with their phones ready to record the damage to both cars. They were quick to ask for my insurance and quickly left after the exchange,’ she wrote.
The male passenger engaged in a conversation with Natasha, explaining that his wife was driving and did not speak English.
In a subsequent video, Natasha mentioned, ‘They quickly exchanged my license, insurance, registration, and everything, so I didn't suspect anything.’
Natasha requested the remaining passengers to wait for her husband to arrive, but they claimed they had to leave immediately to pick up their baby.
When a tow truck arrived to inspect Natasha's car, the other passengers took the opportunity to return to their vehicle and leave.
‘I'm unsure if they targeted me because of my car or because I was alone,’ she remarked.
‘They didn't follow me for long. Everything happened very quickly. It seemed like a well-planned scenario. Definitely not their first time,’ she added.
It wasn't until Natasha reviewed the video that she noticed the 'set-up' or the driver switch, as she was driving alone and everything unfolded rapidly.
Natasha shared three videos about the incident, displaying the dashcam in her car and the rear camera footage showing the red Kia trailing behind her.
Comments on her post overwhelmingly supported her, with one individual stating: ‘Definitely press charges. They WILL do this again. Thank goodness you have a dash cam.’
‘As everyone said, PRESS CHARGES. This is an old trick, and they were caught on your dash cam,’ another comment read.
Observant viewers noted the apparent setup of the incident. One user mentioned: ‘The red Kia acted as a buffer to slow down traffic, preventing your car from hitting another vehicle, so THEY wouldn't be liable for a pile-up. THAT IS WILD.’
Many viewers urged others to invest in a dashcam as well, with one adding: ‘Insurance adjuster here: this happens so often to people driving high-end vehicles. If you own a luxury vehicle (any brand), you DEFINITELY need a dash cam!’
According to the New York State Motor Vehicle Theft and Insurance Fraud Prevention Board, insurance carriers reported 24,238 suspected incidents of motor vehicle insurance fraud in 2020.
via: Daily Mail
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