Woman accused of killing mother and 2 young daughters in Brooklyn crash on Ocean Pkwy pleads not guilty

A woman accused of killing mother, Natasha Saada, 34, and her 2 children, 1 was injured, as they walked along Ocean parkway in Brooklyn on March 29, pleaded not guilty during a hearing on Wednesday. 

One of the Sadaah family members, a 4-year-old boy, is still in the hospital and has a long road to recovery ahead of him. He suffered skull fractures, a brain hemorrhage, and a kidney was removed. There were five people in the Uber, including the driver, a mother and her three children, who suffered minor injuries. The driver of the other car, which overturned, also suffered minor injuries.

Authorities say Miriam Yarimi, 32, frequently violated both the speed limit and the rules for running red lights. 

She appeared in court for the first time and was remanded in custody until a hearing on June 11. Earlier this month, a grand jury indicted her on the main count of second-degree manslaughter.

"This horrific fatal crash was one of the worst I've seen in over 25 years as a prosecutor. It wasn't an accident. This defendant's unconscionably dangerous driving wiped out a family," Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said. "The consequences of her flouting traffic laws and commonsense were disastrous, and we will now seek to hold her fully accountable for this criminally reckless behavior."

Until recently, she was in Bellevue Hospital due to injuries sustained after accident .

Prosecutors accuse her of running a red light on Ocean Parkway and crashing into an Uber, after which she hit and killed Natasha Saada and her two little girls, Deborah and Diana, who were crossing the street.

She underwent a psychological examination before she was charged. She allegedly made several questionable statements to the police during her arrest, including telling them, "The devil is in my eyes."

The case has caused outrage and concern among local leaders, including the Brooklyn District Attorney, who claims that Yarimi drove a car with a suspended license.

"It actually exceeds just being reckless, it's almost being wanton, we're not going to tolerate that," Gonzalez said. "People are aggressive on the roads. People seem to have a lot of rage. They're speeding. They're running red lights."

 Bright faces 15 to 45 years in prison.