ORANGE COUNTY, FL — A Florida man has been arrested after detectives say he deliberately caused a crash that injured a family of four in Orange County more than a year after the collision. Investigators say the case involved a so-called “left turn wave-thru,” a tactic they describe as a staged wreck at an intersection with no traffic signal.
The crash happened on Aug. 16, 2025, at Dr. Phillips Boulevard and Forrest Brook Lane. Deputies say the driver later identified as Casimir waved a family through the intersection, then accelerated and struck their vehicle. The impact deployed airbags and injured a mother, her husband, and their two children.
Detectives describe a staged-crash tactic used at unsignaled intersections
Orange County detectives said the method is a known insurance fraud scheme that often unfolds when one driver pauses at an intersection without traffic lights and gestures for another motorist to turn left. Once the second vehicle begins moving, the first driver speeds up and causes a collision, then blames the other motorist for failing to yield or stop.
Investigators called the practice a “well-known and well-used staged crash tactic.” In this case, deputies say Casimir stopped in the roadway and motioned for the family to cross. The woman in the vehicle later said the exchange lasted for several seconds and seemed unusual because the Jeep Wrangler had no stop sign. She said the impact came suddenly after she started across.
Family says airbags caused serious injuries to parents and children
The family told FOX 35 Orlando that the crash did not feel like an ordinary accident from the start. The woman said it was the first collision she and her husband had ever experienced, and she believed something was wrong when the other driver kept signaling them to go ahead.
After the crash, the airbag deployment injured the family. Deputies said the 8-month-old baby was hit in the head by an airbag, the 6-year-old child’s glasses broke and left glass in one eye, and the mother broke an arm and hurt an ear. The collision turned what looked like a routine turn into a serious medical emergency for everyone in the car.
Casimir arrested on battery, fraud and mischief charges after admitting intent
According to Orange County detectives, Casimir admitted he had intentionally held up traffic and crashed into the family’s vehicle. He was booked into jail on multiple charges, including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, staging or participating in an intentional motor vehicle crash, insurance fraud, criminal mischief, perjury and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
A judge set bond at $54,000. The arrest came after investigators spent more than a year reviewing the incident and the circumstances around the intersection crash. Authorities have not said whether any additional suspects are being investigated in connection with the alleged scheme.
AAA warns staged wrecks can still produce real and severe injuries
Auto safety experts say staged crashes are often discussed as financial scams, but the physical danger can be much more immediate. AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said the wrecks themselves may be planned, yet the collisions are real and innocent people can be badly hurt.
He urged drivers who suspect a suspicious crash to call law enforcement right away, document the damage and roadway with photos or video, and collect witness names and contact information before people leave. Those steps can help preserve evidence if investigators later determine the collision was intentional rather than accidental.
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