American gap-year student killed in Jerusalem car accident

An American student studying at a religious seminary in Jerusalem was killed last night in a car accident in the capital.

Adira Koffsky, 19, was studying at Midreshet Amudim, a gap-year program for Orthodox women. She was killed when a car lost control and flipped over on a rainy Jerusalem street late in the evening, hitting her as she walked nearby. The driver of the car is in serious condition, and a passenger, Martin Pepper, was also killed.

“The entire Amudim family is shattered, our hearts are broken and we are in shock and pain over the loss of our beloved student,” the seminary says in a statement. “All words of wisdom or comfort are empty at this moment.”