A traffic court in Petah Tikva convicted Carol Pessler (81) from Netanya of abandonment after she hit four-year-old Rafael Adena while he was crossing Ben Gurion Boulevard in Netanya with his grandfather. Pessler had previously admitted to and was convicted of abandonment but later retracted her admission, claiming she lacked the mental element required for the offense, and the court canceled her conviction. According to the indictment, in May 2023, Pessler was driving on Ben Gurion Boulevard in the city when she hit Tamir Tsegay and his two grandchildren, Matan and Rafael, and continued driving. Rafael was critically injured and was later pronounced dead at the hospital. Judge Tal Peri stated in the verdict: "The defendant continued on her way, did not stop and did not call emergency services. A driver fleeing the scene of an accident is an anti-social act that deserves severe punishment."