Bus driver arrested over fatal crash near airport that killed 4

The driver of a bus that crashed into a concrete bus stop near Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday evening, killing four, has been arrested following an investigation.

The unnamed driver for the Egged bus company, who was identified in media reports as a 44-year old resident of Haifa, was taken into custody Monday after being treated for his injuries at Beilinson Hospital, and is slated to appear before a Rishon Lezion court for a hearing to extend his detention.

Police are looking into whether he was using a cellphone at the time of the accident.

The driver could face negligent homicide charges, reports in Hebrew media said Monday.

According to Channel 13, the driver told investigators that he did not have an explanation for the accident, saying, “I’m still in shock, I don’t know how it happened.”

Three women and one man died in the crash. One of the women was in her 30s, one in her 50s, and one in her 60s, according to the Magen David Adom ambulance service. Their names have not been released.

The man was identified as 79-year-old Yosef Kahalani of Petah Tikva, who is survived by his wife, three daughters and 14 grandchildren.

Kahalani’s funeral will take place at 3 p.m. Monday at the Segula cemetery in Petah Tikva, the family said.

The rescue operation took some four hours and involved firefighters and paramedics.

The bodies of the deceased were transferred to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute for identification.

Two women, aged 67 and 19, were left in serious condition, the MDA said.

Twelve other people were lightly injured and taken to area hospitals.

The bus hit a bus stop at the side of the road at Bedek Junction. The impact caused massive damage to the vehicle, which was partially crushed by the bus stop’s concrete roof.

An initial investigation found that the bus swerved for an unknown reason. An MDA medic said that the driver was trapped in his seat, but was conscious when emergency services arrived at the scene. A senior police officer told Channel 12 after the accident that investigators suspected that the driver had been distracted. His phone was confiscated.

The Egged bus company said in a statement that the bus was a No. 947 that had left Jerusalem for Haifa at 6 p.m.

“The bus swerved from its path for unclear reasons and slammed into a concrete bus stop,” Egged said. “The cause of the accident, the swerving and the collision with the structure will be checked by police traffic inspectors after the evacuation of injured people from this severe and tragic accident is completed.”

Earlier Sunday, two Palestinian workers were killed when the minibus they were traveling in hit a bus near Ramat Gan, outside Tel Aviv. The driver of the minibus was seriously injured in the accident, which police suspect was caused by speeding and reckless driving.

The deaths brought to 345 the number of people killed in traffic accidents during 2019, according to figures from the National Road Safety Authority. Last year, 316 people were killed on the country’s roads.