Couple jailed after ‘deliberately causing car crashes for views on YouTube’

A couple who posted videos of themselves deliberately causing car crashes on YouTube and committed insurance ford have been jailed.

Christopher and Kimberly Phelps from California uploaded videos on social media driving dangerously and claiming other drivers were responsible [via Dexerto].

They posted the videos on YouTube under the profile name “BLU3 GHO57”, and used it as leverage to pursue compensation from their insurance company.

The videos typically received fewer than 100 views each, but there were around 62 dash cam videos posted on the channel of various collisions and dangerous near misses.

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The prosecutors also stated that the couple’s child had been present in the car for many of the incidents.

An investigation was first launched after the California Department of Insurance uncovered the YouTube channel and discovered a video showing a “suspicious collision” which saw Christopher stop for no apparent reason before a crash.

Southern California couple arrested, accused of intentional car crash scamswww.youtube.com

The pair were arrested in March this year and they’ve now received jail sentences. Christopher has been ordered to serve three years in jail. Kimberly was also sentenced to 90 days in weekend county jail and three years of supervised probation. She was also ordered to attend a 52-week child abuse prevention program.

When they were first arrested, the California Department of Insurance issued a statement saying: “Christopher Phelps has been charged with six felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon, 11 felony counts of insurance fraud, and five felony counts of child endangerment. Kimberly Phelps has been charged with two counts of felony child endangerment and one count of felony insurance fraud.

“Christopher Phelps was previously charged with one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon and one felony count of causing a vehicle collision for the purpose of presenting a false claim following his arrest [earlier this year].”

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