Six Israeli Arabs Killed in Crash Near Haifa

YERUSHALAYIM
A scene of destruction at the site of a multiple-vehicle crash near Haifa on Wednesday. (Flash90)
A scene of destruction at the site of a multiple-vehicle crash near Haifa on Wednesday. (Flash90)

Six Israeli Arabs were killed and a dozen injured — two of them critically — in one of the worst road tragedies in recent memory on the outskirts of Haifa Wednesday afternoon.

A truck, which was reportedly barreling downhill on the road between Haifa and the Checkpost junction, slammed into eight vehicles before flipping over and catching fire.

The truck driver, who was only lightly injured, was detained for interrogation by the police.

Raed Khatib, who was traveling in the vehicle behind the truck, told Haaretz that it appeared that the driver had lost control. “I saw the truck going down the hill and suddenly it started swerving all over the road. It was obvious that he had lost control and the truck just crushed the cars that were standing at the traffic light. It was a terrible sight. Several cars caught fire, and I saw some people who were trapped in their cars,” he said.

Lior Doron, who witnessed the crash, told reporters: “He came from above [down toward the junction] at a crazy speed. Already then it was obvious that he had lost his brakes, there was a heavy smell of burning rubber, and the driver screamed from his window: ‘Help me! I have no brakes, get out of the way.’ But it was already too late to help anyone.”

Magen David Adom said they went on a “mass casualties event” response level, sending a fleet of 29 ambulances and eight emergency care vehicles to the scene, along with dozens of paramedics to treat and evacuate the victims, The Jerusalem Post reported.

MDA Paramedic Avner Kogen was quoted as saying “the scene looked like a terror attack. The cars that had been hit and the injured people were spread across a 300-foot radius, and many of the injured were still trapped inside their cars.”

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