According to the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, Philadelphia native, Sandra McCrea, was arrested on charges of attempted theft by deception and insurance fraud following alleged injuries she sustained while on a SEPTA bus on August 29th, 2011.
The bus was stopped at the intersection of Greene Street and School House Lane in Philadelphia, PA when the driver’s side mirror was struck by a truck. There was no police or paramedic response. The bus operator had the damage appraised, and in writing her report, stated that the damage included only minor scratches to the mirror frame and none of the passengers appeared or claimed to be injured.
McCrea decided she would submit a personal injury claim against SEPTA with help from counsel, anyway, stating that she sustained injuries to her lower back, right shoulder, and right knee during the incident.
According to detectives, McCrea did seek physical therapy treatment for these “injuries” between September and November of 2011. But according to the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, “Surveillance footage from the Route XH bus contradicts McCrea’s claim and establishes that although a white truck did make contact with the exterior mirror of the bus, none of the twenty-one passengers appeared to be injured or disturbed in any way.”
On top of that, McCrea originally submitted the fraudulent claim under a fake name and address. Why? Because her claims history is VAST. She has filed over ten personal injury claims against SEPTA alone, totaling approximately $100,000 in settlements.