Brooklyn driver who killed Jewish mom, 2 daughters sentenced to 3-9 years in prison

NEW YORK — A Jewish wig maker who killed a Jewish mother and her two daughters in New York City earlier this year was sentenced to 3-9 years in prison, the Brooklyn district attorney said on Wednesday.

Miriam Yarimi, 33, who was driving with a suspended license, ran over the family in the Midwood neighborhood of south Brooklyn on a Shabbat afternoon in March.

The deaths were a major tragedy for the Jewish community.

The fatalities were Natasha Saada, 34, and her daughters, Diana and Deborah. Saada’s son was severely injured with skull fractures and brain bleeding, and needed to have one of his kidneys removed.

“This defendant is a reckless driver who cared about only herself when she raced in the streets of Brooklyn and wiped away nearly an entire family,” Gonzalez said in a statement. “She should not have been driving a car that day but, instead, she chose to callously ignore all traffic and safety laws when she caused this unspeakable carnage.”

Yarimi pleaded guilty to three counts of reckless manslaughter last month.

The Brooklyn district attorney’s office had recommended the maximum sentence of five to 15 years in prison, Gonzalez said.

“While today’s sentence is shorter than the maximum we recommended, it sends a clear message that reckless driving will be vigorously prosecuted and met with serious consequences,” he said.

Natasha Saada and her 2 daughters, Diana, 8, and Debra, 5, were killed by a driver as they were walking home from Shabbos services in Midwood.

My heart goes out to the family and the entire community. Please keep Philip in your heart, he is 4 years old and fighting for his life. pic.twitter.com/LEMPrYJYAq

— Justin Brannan (@JustinBrannan) March 31, 2025

In the accident, investigators said that a silver Toyota Camry, an Uber, was attempting to make a turn on Ocean Parkway while the family crossed the street when the Toyota was hit in the rear bumper by Yarimi’s Audi sedan. The Toyota was pushed aside and the Audi jetted forward, plowing into the four pedestrians, then rolling over.

Yarimi’s car ended up upside-down and she had to be cut out of the wreckage by first responders. She suffered minor injuries. Five passengers in the Toyota were also lightly hurt, police said.

Gonzalez said that, immediately before the accident, video surveillance showed Yarimi using a cellphone while driving, speeding through a red light a block before the crash, and narrowly missing other cars.

The black box in Yarimi’s car indicated she was traveling at 68 miles per hour (110 kilometers per hour), more than twice the speed limit, that the gas pedal was likely floored, and the brakes were not used.

After hitting the victims, Yarimi’s car rolled over, stopping about 130 feet (40 meters) away.

Before the accident, Yarimi had posted photos online marking Shabbat, Jewish holidays including Purim and Passover, and writing “Thank you Hashem” after winning a lawsuit against the NYPD before the accident.

Her social media said she ran a wig store and she often shared photos of clients. Last year, she posted a photo of herself with a blue Audi that has the license plate “WIGM8KER.”

After the deaths, Jewish community members mourned, circulating calls for prayers. Chai Lifeline, a Jewish nonprofit that provides trauma and medical care, held counseling sessions for hundreds of children, teachers and parents from the victims’ school.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams at the time called the incident “a tragic accident of Shakespearean proportion.”

“This is a very close-knit community, a very religious community,” Adams said at a press conference in the area of the accident. “This is extremely concerning and painful, not only to the city of New York in general, but specifically to a very close-knit community.”