Driver who killed 2 cyclists while under influence of drugs jailed for 9.5 years

Lod District Court sentenced a man to nine and a half years in prison on Wednesday for killing two cyclists in a traffic accident in December 2019.

Yonatan Fadida, from Or Akiva, was convicted in January this year under a plea bargain in which he admitted to charges of reckless manslaughter, speeding, driving under the influence of narcotics, obstructing justice, and other offenses.

However, there was no agreement at the time between prosecutors and his attorneys on a sentence.

The December 16, 2019, crash took place near the Hadarim interchange, south of Netanya. The victims were Yaniv Lugasi, 44, and Tomer Weinstein, 45, both from the nearby community of Kadima-Zoran. Each was a father of three.

In delivering the prison sentence, Judge Dana Marshak Marom also gave Fadida, in his early 30s, a further six-month suspected sentence and ordered that his driver’s license be revoked for 15 years. Fadida was also ordered to pay NIS 100,000 compensation to each of the families of Lugasi and Weinstein.

Explaining the sentence, Marshak Marom said, “I was impressed that he bore the very heavy responsibility,” Channel 12 news reported.

Attorney Giora Even-Tzur, representing the families, said they would ask prosecutors to appeal the sentence because they believe it is too light.

“It is not logical that a person who murdered two people can be free in another six years,” he said referring to the possibility that Fadida could be granted parole after serving two-thirds of his sentence, Channel 12 reported.

However, Fadida’s attorney Adi Carmel said that in light of her client taking responsibility for his actions, “this is a fitting outcome in this incident.”

The court, she said, “was very impressed with the honest and real taking of responsibility. Yonatan is hurting and suffering and takes full responsibility.”

Negotiations over the past year were based on Fadida admitting to all charges and prosecutors asking for a sentence of 13 years, Channel 12 reported.

However, in January, just as the deal was about to be presented to the court, its terms were reported by the station, prompting outrage from the Lugasi and Weinstein families who said at the time they wanted Fadida to spend at least 20 years behind bars for the double killing.

Prosecutors then backtracked and demanded a steeper prison term as part of the deal. No agreement with defense attorneys was reached, and the plea agreement was eventually presented to the court without terms for sentencing, Channel 12 reported.

Fadida sustained minor injuries in the crash and received medical treatment at the scene.

Court papers showed that instead of assisting the cyclists after the crash Fadida threw a bag of drugs into a roadside ditch. At the time of the crash he did not have a valid license, police said.