The bus driver who was killed in the deadly crash on Route 89 in northern Israel Wednesday had 51 past convictions on traffic offenses.
The driver, who was named as 76-year-old Asher Basson from Kiryat Yam, was last convicted in 2017 for driving a red light. He had also accumulated seven convictions for speeding in his 55-year career as a driver, with the latest coming in the early aughts.
2 View gallery
The scene of the crash on Route 89 in northern Israel; bus driver Asher Basson
(Photo: Gil Nechushtan, courtesy of the family)
Besides Basson, four more people were killed in the accident when his bus collided head-on with the taxi they were riding in. They were named as Moran Ben Eli (35) from the northern town of Maalot and her three children — Dekel Ben Eli (15), Liam Ben Eli (11) and Anael Ben Eli (5). They were laid to rest Thursday at Maalot's old cemetery.
The father Reuven Ben Eli, who was driving the cab, was seriously injured in the crash and was taken to Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa for treatment. He woke up Thursday morning and was given the bitter news of his family's passing by doctors.
A total of 57 people were injured in the accident to varying degrees, most of them were passengers on the bus that turned over on its side. The Bnei Akiva youth movement confirmed that the bus was filled with campers who were heading back home from a Sukkot trip.
The injured participants were evacuated to Ziv Hospital in Safed and the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, the group said.
2 View gallery
Liam Ben Eli (11), Anael Ben Eli (5), Dekel Ben Eli (15) and their mother Moran Ben Eli (35)
(Photo: Courtesy of the family)
A preliminary investigation into the circumstances of the crash showed that the accident happened in increments.
Basson is believed to have driven off his lane and hit the side of a van. He then hit another vehicle and ultimately collided head-on with the Ben Elis' cab before the bus overturned on its side.
Investigators were looking into what may have caused Basson to drive off his lane, including possible medical causes.
According to data from the National Road Safety Authority, 270 Israelis have been killed in car accidents since the beginning of 2021 — including Wednesday's crash — of which 92 were private car passengers. During the same period in 2020, 233 people were killed, including 80 private vehicle passengers.