Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed legislation criminalizing staged motor vehicle accidents.

The bill makes it a Class E Felony when a person intentionally causes a motor vehicle accident with the intent to commit a fraudulent insurance act.

The measure also creates a class D felony for when a person commits the same crime and causes serious physical injury to another individual who was not a participant in the crime.

"In New York, we have zero tolerance for insurance fraud, and anyone who puts others in physical danger to further their scheme should be punished accordingly,"  Cuomo said, "By signing this legislation into law, we are holding reckless individuals accountable by strengthening penalties for motor vehicle insurance fraud and taking a significant step to make our roads safer for every New Yorker."

The legislation is named after Alice Ross, a devoted wife and grandmother, who was on her way to visit her daughter and grandchildren when her automobile was struck by another vehicle triggering a crash that resulted in her untimely death.

The accidenr was the result of an intentional attempt to commit auto insurance fraud by the other driver, who planned to file insurance claims and receive a substantial settlement as a result of the crash.

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