Remains of the David-Rabas' car
Photo: Haim Hornstein
2 killed, 1 injured in road accident in south
Two children visiting from France killed on way back from Eilat; father moderately injured, suspected of falling asleep at the wheel, causing head-on collision with truck in next lane
Two children, residents of France on a visit to Israel, were killed in a road accident on the Arava road on their way back from Eilat on Monday in a head-on collision with a truck. According to estimates the accident was caused by their father falling asleep at the wheel and veering from his lane.
The father, 58-year-old Shimon David-Raba, was taken to Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba. On Tuesday afternoon, he was informed that his eight-year-old daughter Saloma and his 12-year-old son Johan were killed on the spot.
The doctor treating the father reported on Monday that the injured man was concious and told him, "I must have fallen asleep at the wheel."
The scene of the accident on Arava road Monday (photo: Eliad Liron)
David-Raba's sisters arrived at the hospital from their homes in Eilat and Tel Aviv Tuesday morning after hearing the news and told reporters that their brother had brought his children on their first visit to Israel to take part in a family wedding, and to let them get to know and love his country of origin.
After receiving the official news that their niece and nephew had been killed, one of the sisters burst into tears crying, "Why here? Why in Israel of all places? Why in Jerusalem? Why did this have to happen to us?"
The family was left with the difficult task of informing the children's mother, who had stayed behind in France.
The family car completely totaled (photo: Moshe Grasberg, ZAKA)
David-Raba underwent surgery after suffering injuries to his limbs and spinal chord, and his family members were taken Tuesday morning to officially identify the children's bodies at the Abu Kabir National Institute of Forensic Medicine.
The police investigation of the circumstances leading up to the accident continued Tuesday, and according to current estimates, the truck driver was not responsible for the accident since the truck did not stray from its lane and left no skid marks on the road.
All the evidence and eyewitnesses lead the police to believe that it was the family car that deviated from its lane, and police believe the father had fallen asleep while driving, an assumption that was backed by the father's own statement to his doctor.
Since the start of 2007, 271 people have been killed in road accidents across Israel.
Ahuva Mamos contributed to this report
