4 killed in Negev car crash

Police said that four people were killed Sunday in a car accident involving four vehicles in the Negev Junction. One of the cars caught fire and several of the victims were trapped inside the wrecked vehicles.

Police are currently investigating the accident. According to some reports, the victims, apparently two women and two children, may have been members of the same family.

A Magen David Adom unit rushed to the scene treated seven injured victims including one individual in critical condition who had been trapped inside his car. The man was airlifted to a hospital via helicopter.

Six lightly wounded passengers were also evacuated to the Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba.

Southern District's traffic chief Micha Abukasis said four vehicles are involved, two military vehicles and two private vehicles.

According to an initial investigation, a military vehicle travelling north apparently attempted to overtake the vehicle in front of it and collided with a military truck and two cars that were heading south. The two cars caught fire as a result of the collision. Four scorched bodies were found in one of them.

The driver who apparently caused the crash was evacuated in serious condition to the Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba.

The driver of the military truck said, "He (driver of military vehicle) rammed into the side of my truck, then collided with two other cars. It all happened very quickly. I couldn't believe what I saw when I stepped out of the truck."

Wrecked vehicles after crash (Photo: Herzel Yosef)

Shimon Abutbul, an eye witness who arrived at the scene shortly after the crash told Ynet, "One of the vehicles had just started catching fire. We tried to bring water tanks and a fire extinguisher but it didn't help. We saw the people inside the car. They didn’t cry for help and I believe they were no longer alive."

He further noted that rescue forces arrived ten minutes later including a military ambulance, a Magen David Adom ambulance, fire brigades and a helicopter.

Bloody night

Five more people were killed in road accidents overnight Sunday. Two men were killed in south Tel Aviv after their vehicle hit a pole during a police car chase. The two, aged 28 and 26 were speeding as they ran from police.

Several hours earlier three people were killed in a car accident in Highway 90 between the Dead Sea hotel district and Ein Gedi. It is suspected that the driver who was speeding lost control of the vehicle which turned over.

Rescue forces who were rushed to the scene found the bodies of two victims beside the car, whereas the third passenger's body was found dozens of feet away after being blown from the vehicle.