Two people killed in traffic accidents

Two people were killed late Sunday night and early Monday in separate traffic accidents, one in the southern region and the other in the north.

Just after 5 a.m. police received a call about a collision involving three trucks near the Magen Junction in the Negev. One driver was killed in the collision, while paramedics had to extract another from his vehicle. He was evacuated to Beersheba’s Soroka Medical Center in moderate condition.

According to initial reports, a few hours before the accident, a fourth truck overturned at the side of the road. Police suspect that the collision occurred when the driver of one truck slowed down to look at the overturned vehicle, causing two other trucks behind him to rear-end his vehicle.

Police opened an investigation into the accident.

The Eshkol Regional Council released a statement on Monday morning, saying that Route 232, where the collision took place, is a “very narrow road with only one lane in each direction and no shoulders. The widening of the road has already been approved and detailed plans have been already been put forth.” However, the regional council claimed, the plans have been held up by disagreements between the Defense, Transportation and Finance ministries over funding.

In recent years traffic on the road has increased significantly by trucks carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza heading toward the Kerem Shalom crossing. As a result, “many truck accidents have occurred disrupting traffic and endangering the lives of the residents.” according to the statement.

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In an unrelated accident late Sunday, a pedestrian was struck by a minivan and killed in the Galilee, between the villages of Arraba and Rameh. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene and police have opened an investigation.

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