O.C. Legislator’s Measure Targets Staged Accidents
Citing an increase in staged auto accidents around the state, Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush announced legislation Thursday that would make staging crashes for fraudulent insurance claims a serious felony subject to the three-strikes law.
Quackenbush announced the legislation in Bell near the site of a fiery crash in February that killed a family of three.
The measure, written by Sen. John Lewis (R-Orange), would mean that people convicted of staging collisions could have their sentences doubled after a second conviction or life imprisonment after a third strike.
Currently, participating in a staged crash is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine.
About 50 people have been arrested in California this year and hundreds more are under investigation for staging car crashes that often turn deadly, Quackenbush said.
This summer, three people were arrested for their role in a fraud ring responsible for the February crash on the Long Beach Freeway in Bell that started a fatal chain reaction, causing the explosion of the station wagon of a Santa Ana family.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
