10-month-old baby and parents killed in crash near Dead Sea

Victims named as Avitan family from northern city of Katzrin; 14 people on bus that collided with car lightly hurt, driver questioned by police

By ToI Staff 18 October 2018, 5:27 pm

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The scene of a deadly crash between a car and a bus on Route 90 near the Dead Sea on October 18, 2018. (Screen capture: Israel Police)

A 10-month-old baby and her parents were killed Thursday morning when a bus collided head-on with their car near the Dead Sea.

The victims were later named as Kfir and Shira Avitan, both 28, from the northern city of Katzrin, and their daughter Gaia.

They were initially listed as badly injured but were later declared dead at the scene by paramedics from the Magen David Adom ambulance service.

Fourteen people on the bus, including the driver, were lightly hurt when it struck the Avitans’ vehicle on Route 90 and were taken to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, according to MDA.

The bus driver was later questioned by police and reportedly said he lost control of the vehicle due to a malfunction in the steering system, which caused the front-left tire to burst.