New York Personal Injury Attorneys BlogFatal Midwood Crash killing 3 Pedestrians and Seriously Injuring One Sparks Renewed Demand for Speed Limiter Legislation in Brooklyn
A devastating car crash in Brooklyn has once again underscored the urgent need for legislative action to hold repeat speeding offenders accountable. As Brooklyn car accident lawyers with decades of experience representing families shattered by preventable tragedies, we echo the community’s demand for real solutions—not just condolences—when reckless driving takes innocent lives.
On Saturday, 34-year-old Natasha Saada and her two young daughters, Diana (8) and Deborah (5), were struck and killed while walking on Ocean Parkway near Quentin Avenue in Midwood. Her 4-year-old son, Philip, remains in critical condition. The driver, Miriam Yarimi, who had an extensive history of speeding violations—including 21 speeding tickets, 15 of which occurred in school zones—now faces multiple felony charges, including manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.
This crash is not an isolated incident. Brooklyn streets, particularly high-speed corridors like Ocean Parkway, have long been the site of deadly pedestrian crashes involving drivers with repeat traffic offenses. What makes this case even more heartbreaking is how preventable it may have been.
State Senator Andrew Gounardes and street safety advocates are now urging lawmakers to pass new legislation that would require speed limiters on the vehicles of drivers with more than six speeding or red light camera violations. These devices would cap a driver’s speed at no more than five miles per hour over the posted limit—a potentially life-saving measure.
“This driver clearly would’ve met the threshold,” Gounardes stated. “Had a speed limiter been in place, these lives could’ve been saved.”
As attorneys who regularly litigate serious and fatal car accidents across Brooklyn, we know that repeat violations are often ignored until it’s too late. Traffic camera tickets are civil infractions—but they paint a clear picture of dangerous driving behavior. It is unacceptable that someone with over 20 violations remained legally behind the wheel.
The data is clear: the impact of a car at 40 mph is nearly always fatal for a pedestrian. At 25 mph, that same pedestrian has a strong chance of survival. The difference between life and death can be measured in seconds—and in speed.
While criminal charges may bring some measure of accountability, they do nothing to bring back the victims. Proactive measures like speed limiters offer a pathway to prevention, not just punishment. As Brooklyn personal injury lawyers, we support legislation that prioritizes pedestrian safety and uses technology to keep reckless drivers off our streets.
We will continue to fight for the victims of car crashes in Brooklyn and across New York City and push for a legal system that doesn’t wait for tragedy to act.
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or killed in a Brooklyn car crash, contact Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf at 212-943-1090. Our top-rated trial attorneys have represented victims of motor vehicle crashes for more than 100 years, securing some of the highest verdicts and settlements in New York.
