Suspected car thief killed trying to escape police against highway traffic
Driver, IDF soldier Shahar Rubilar, 19, hits five other vehicles, collides head-on with truck; two others lightly injured
Stuart Winer is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel.
A 19-year-old was killed early Monday morning as he drove his car against traffic along a major highway in central Israel in an attempt to escape from police, before colliding with a truck and four other vehicles, police said.
Two other people were lightly injured in the five-vehicle crash that resulted from the fatal maneuver on Route 2. Media reports said he was driving a stolen car.
The incident began when the 19-year-old driver of the car saw a police car patrolling Route 2 near Havatzelet Junction, police said in a statement. The driver immediately swung around and sped off in the opposite direction against the flow of traffic hitting five other vehicles, including a head-on collision with a truck.
The driver was later identified as an IDF soldier Shahar Rubilar from Netanyahu. Nineteen years old, he was conscripted into the army two weeks ago.
Magen David Adom paramedics said that the driver had to be cut from the crushed vehicle with the help of the fire department but was found to be unconscious, not breathing, and with no pulse. Paramedics declared him dead at the scene.
The driver of the truck and one other person suffered light injuries and were taken to Hillel Yaffa Medical Center in Hadera for treatment.
Route 2 heading south was blocked for several hours as rescue services attended to the scene. One lane was opened for traffic later as rush hour traffic built up.
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