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A YouTube couple from California, Christopher and Kimberly Phelps, has been sentenced to jail after intentionally causing over 20 car crashes and committing insurance fraud.
The couple filmed these dangerous incidents and uploaded them to their YouTube channel in pursuit of views and engagement.
The Thrill of YouTube Views
With the rise of social media platforms like YouTube, sharing one’s daily life with others has become a popular trend.
However, the desire for likes and attention can push some individuals to engage in bizarre and even hazardous activities.
For Christopher and Kimberly Phelps, this meant filming themselves engaging in reckless driving behaviors and placing blame on others.
They uploaded these videos to their YouTube channel, operating under the username “BLU3 GHO57,” before proceeding to file insurance claims to seek compensation for the damages caused.
Jail Sentences Handed Down
The couple was arrested in March 2023, and they have now been sentenced for their actions.
Christopher has been ordered to serve three years in jail and has had his driver’s license immediately revoked due to the charge of assault with a deadly weapon.
Meanwhile, Kimberly has received a sentence of 90 days in weekend county jail/work release, three years of supervised probation, and is required to attend a 52-week child abuse prevention program.
She is currently out on bail.
Dangerous Stunts for YouTube Clicks
Although their videos only garnered an average of 50-60 views each, their YouTube channel contained approximately 162 dashcam videos showcasing collisions, near misses, and incidents of road rage.
Prosecutors later revealed that the couple had their child in the car during many of these reckless incidents.
The California Department of Insurance launched an investigation after discovering the couple’s YouTube channel.
The investigation was triggered by a “suspicious collision” involving Christopher, where he abruptly stopped his vehicle for no apparent reason, causing a truck towing a trailer to collide with his car.
In March, when the couple was initially arrested, the California Department of Insurance issued a statement outlining the charges.
Christopher was charged with six counts of assault with a deadly weapon, eleven counts of insurance fraud, and five counts of child endangerment. Kimberly faced two counts of child endangerment and one count of insurance fraud.
Putting an End to Dangerous Actions
The actions of the YouTube couple from California, Christopher and Kimberly Phelps, highlight the potential dangers of pursuing online fame at any cost.
Their deliberate creation of hazardous situations not only endangered their own lives but also put the lives of other road users at risk. The legal consequences they now face serve as a reminder that such actions have severe repercussions.
While social media platforms provide opportunities for creativity and self-expression, it is crucial to exercise responsibility and ensure that content creation does not compromise the safety and well-being of oneself and others.
