Driver sentenced to up to 9 years in prison for crash that killed mother, 2 daughters
MIDWOOD, Brooklyn (WABC) -- A Brooklyn woman was sentenced on Wednesday in a crash that killed a mother and two of her young children.
Miriam Yarimi, 33, pleaded guilty to manslaughter last month for the crash that happened last March.
On Wednesday, she was sentenced to a prison term of 3 to 9 years.
Yarimi read a remorseful statement after being sentenced, saying, "I accept full responsibility for my actions."
"There's a lot of sorrow and pain, remorse, regret I feel in my heart for causing such an unspeakable tragedy," she said. "I hope and pray that my guilty plea, as well as my sentencing here today, will provide some degree of closure to the victims and their family members for all of the pain and suffering that my actions."
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said Yarimi only cared about herself when she "wiped away nearly an entire family."
"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," Gonzalez said. "I thank our prosecutors and the NYPD for their diligent work, and I stand with advocates urging legislation to require speed-limiting devices for drivers who have shown they cannot operate safely."
Prosecutors say she blew through a red light in Midwood and struck the family in the street while zig-zagging through traffic and recording selfie videos right before the crash.
Natasha Saada, 34, and her children, 5-year-old Deborah and 8-year-old Diana were killed. Her four-year-old son was left in critical condition. Little Philip suffered skull fractures, brain bleeding and had a kidney removed.
Prosecutors also say Yarimi was a frequent violator of both speed laws and red light laws.
The Saada family was not in court on Wednesday and their attorney said they were not happy that Yarimi could serve as little as three years in prison for taking the lives of three people.
"Well, they they are quite disappointed, or outraged would probably be a better word," family attorney Herschel Kulefsky said.
The DA's Office had recommended the maximum sentence of five to 15 years in prison.
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