Deadly Bus Crash Remains a Mystery

Twenty-four hours after a bus crashed into a bus stop near Ben Gurion Airport killing 4 people, investigators seemed no closer to solving the mystery of how the accident happened.

The driver of the bus, who has been in police custody since Sunday evening, told investigators that he has no explanation for the crash, and denied being on his phone at the time, or tired, according to Channel 13.

Tests found no drugs or alcohol in his system and he appeared to be healthy. Nor was any flaw evident in the bus itself, which passed a safety test just a week ago, the channel said.

One driver interviewed on Reshet Bet said that the 947 route, where the accident occurred, “has a terrible reputation among drivers. It’s very long, a minimum drive of three and a half hours. It is wearying and there is no break for the driver. Often when driving it I would get to the last stop and I could not find a place to park the bus – and by the time I did my break was over and I had to get back on the road.”

In response, the Transportation Ministry said that “it is sad that there are those who would take advantage of this tragic event for their own purposes. We will await the results of the police investigation before making conclusions. The [Ministry] works together with drivers and labor unions constantly to improve the situation of drivers. We invite the Union to work with us to ensure the safety and welfare of drivers.”