New York Samaritan Charged with Insurance Fraud

A man who helped victims of a truck crash on one of New York’s busiest highways has been charged with insurance fraud.

Police say Gabriel Hernandez wrongly claimed he’d been injured in the Sept. 22 accident on the Major Deegan Expressway. He was treated for shoulder injuries and claimed damage to his vehicle. He got more than $20,000 from the insurance company.

Police say he didn’t get there until after the accident. He pleaded not guilty and was released.

They say video shows Hernandez pulling up seconds after the tractor-trailer overturns, pinning a car against the highway barrier. It also shows him jumping out and running to help the victims.

The name of his attorney wasn’t immediately available.