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Natasha (Sara) Saada, a 35-year-old Jewish ultra-Orthodox woman, and her daughters Diana, 7, and Debra, 5, were killed Saturday afternoon when a car struck them in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Midwood while walking home from synagogue. Her son, Pinchas Raphael, 4, was critically injured and remains hospitalized.
The incident occurred shortly after 1 p.m. when an Audi, driven by 32-year-old Miriam Yarimi, collided with a Toyota Camry operated by an Uber driver. The Audi then veered into a crosswalk, hitting the Saada family. According to New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Yarimi’s license had been suspended prior to the crash. She has not been charged as the investigation continues.
Yarimi and the 62-year-old Uber driver were taken to Coney Island Hospital in stable condition. Three Uber passengers—two children and one adult—were transported to Kings County Hospital, also in stable condition.
Municipal traffic records show that Yarimi’s vehicle, which bears the license plate “WIGM8KER,” has been issued 93 traffic violations, including 20 for speeding and multiple citations for driving in school zones. She is listed as a wig stylist specializing in sheitels, wigs worn by married Orthodox Jewish women.
Nine people were injured in total. The Saada family had been walking home after Shabbat services when the crash occurred. A neighbor told Yeshiva World News that the children's father was at home with the couple’s infant and was unaware of what had taken place.
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams visited the scene and held a press conference alongside Commissioner Tisch. “You can’t imagine the pain this family is going through,” Adams said. Moshe Davis, the mayor’s adviser on Jewish community affairs, added, “This is a terrible tragedy that should never have happened. The mayor and our team are doing everything to support the family and the community during this difficult time.”
First published: 09:38, 03.30.25