2 Navy officers killed in car crash
Vehicle carrying four naval officers crashes into truck on Highway 4; two officers pronounced dead at scene, two others injured
Two Israel Navy officers were killed in a car crash on Highway 4 near Rishon Lezion early Wednesday morning.
An initial investigation into the accident revealed that the officers, Captain Omri Shahar, 25, of Kfar Saba and First Lieutenant Rafael Bublil, 22, of Ramat Gan, were killed when their car collided with a truck and overturned at Holot Junction. Two other officers were injured in the crash. One is in moderate condition, while the other suffered serious injuries.
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Paramedics transported the injured officers to the Chaim Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer. A Fire and Rescue team that arrived on scene shortly after assisted the paramedics in extracting the bodies trapped in the crushed vehicle.
The IDF's Spokespersons Unit said that the four officers were stationed at the Ashdod Naval Base. Their families have been notified.
The police said that that after crashing into the rear of the truck, the driver most likely lost control of the vehicle, causing it to flip over and hit the highway's safety barrier.
The crushed vehicle (Photo: Ofer Amram)
The truck driver, who suffered shock, remained at the scene while paramedics evacuated the officers.
"The road was very dark. I saw the vehicle in my mirror and suddenly felt the crash," the driver said, shakily recalling the accident. "I saw the car flip over and then hit the safety barrier. I stopped the truck but couldn’t leave it. I was in shock. I immediately called the police and waited for them to arrive," he added.
When asked if he had seen the vehicle speeding prior to hitting him, the driver said that he had not seen anything unusual prior to the crash. "I just remember the hard blow I felt and then seeing the vehicle overturn. I don’t understand what made him crash into me," he said.
An eyewitness said that "the car that flipped over wasn't visible. I almost crashed into it. When I realized that I couldn't see anything, I edged closer to the car and began signaling to other cars driving towards the accident site, warning them to drive slowly.
"I heard one of the injured officers calling for help. The two others were silent," he added.
Magen David Adom Spokesman Zaki Heller said that, "As soon as we arrived at the scene, we began treating the trapped soldiers in the car. We had no choice but to pronounce two officers dead at the scene. One of the passengers, who suffered serious injuries, was evacuated to the hospital immediately.
"The fourth officer was standing outside the vehicle and appeared to be very disoriented. He did not appear to be wounded. However, it was decided to evacuate him to the hospital due to the severity of the accident," he said.
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