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California couple deliberately caused crashes to claim insurance: cops

A California couple who allegedly caused dozens of car crashes and posted their criminal escapades on YouTube have been charged with insurance fraud and assault with a deadly weapon.

Christopher Phelps and his wife, Kimberly, were arrested Wednesday after San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department officials discovered more than 160 YouTube dashcam videos they say showed road rage incidents and traffic collisions caused on purpose by the couple.

Investigators found at least 23 collisions allegedly documented by Phelps which were linked to at least 17 insurance claims, according to California Department of Insurance officials.

Christopher Phelps, 40, of Yucaipa, and his wife, Kimberly Phelps, 40, were arrested yesterday on multiple felony counts of insurance fraud, assault with a deadly weapon and child endangerment after the couple allegedly caused collisions in an attempt to collect undeserved insurance payouts.
California Department of Insurance

The Phelps’ were also slapped with child endangerment charges because some of the videos showed Christopher’s child in the vehicle during the allegedly intentional crashes and road rage incidents.

Investigators said Christopher Phelps posted the videos on a YouTube channel under the name “BLU3 GHO57.”

Sheriff’s investigators contacted the state Department of Insurance after they found Christopher Phelps was involved in a suspicious crash where he appeared to stop for no reason, causing a truck that was pulling a trailer to rear-end his car in the Yucaipa, Calif. area.

Christopher Phelps uploaded more than 162 dashcam videos on his YouTube page that allegedly shows car crashes that he intentionally cases, officials said.
California Department of Insurance
One of the dashcam videos shows the driver nearly crashing into another vehicle at an intersection.
California Department of Insurance
Kimberly Phelps also faces felony fraud and child endangerment charges.
California Department of Insurance

Christopher, 40, allegedly uploaded the video footage onto YouTube shortly after the incident, officials said.

He faces six felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon, 11 felony counts of insurance fraud and five counts of child endangerment. He was previously arrested for similar charges for another collision in February.

Kimberly, also 40, is facing two counts of felony child endangerment and one count of felony insurance fraud. Both were arrested on Wednesday and are being held in lieu of $500,000 bail.

Detectives believe there are more possible victims and urge them to call the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office.