Brooklyn man charged with staging car crash in viral dashcam video

[Karah Rucker]

A Brooklyn man is facing multiple charges after a staged car crash, which was caught on dash cam and went viral on social media. 

The incident, which prosecutors say was part of an insurance fraud scheme, was uploaded to TikTok where you can see the car reverse-slam into the vehicle behind it.

The crash happened last October on the busy Belt Parkway in Queens. 

Ashpia Natasha was driving her 2021 Acura when a silver Honda suddenly pulled in front of her. 

To avoid a collision, Natasha stopped, but the Honda then backed into her vehicle, causing 83 hundred dollars in damage.

The video shows four people getting out of the Honda after the crash, including 28-year-old Maikel Martinez, who prosecutors say was the ringleader of the scheme.

After the crash, the group began taking photos and videos of the damage.

Martinez, along with the three others, are all accused of conspiring to commit insurance fraud, reckless endangerment, and other crimes.

Martinez was arrested on Thursday after returning to New York from Ecuador. 

If convicted, he could face up to seven years in prison.

The Queens District Attorney has called the actions reckless and dangerous, endangering not just the drivers involved, but also other people on the road. 

Investigators say the crash was part of a larger scheme, and the investigation is ongoing.

Natasha told the new york times she knew something sketchy was going on –

But when the group asked for her insurance information she provided it.

Natasha says she didn’t think it was potential insurance fraud until she got home and reviewed her dash cam footage.

Her story – now serving as a warning to others –

As its been seen on tiktok over 70 million times.

Natasha says she was happy that police were able to at least make an arrest in her case.

Thanks largely in part to the dash camera video she provided.

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