IDF finds driver’s negligence caused deadly truck crash

An IDF investigation into a July accident in which two soldiers were killed finds no evidence of systemic failure that would have caused the crash, but does uncover a number of unrelated issues in the military’s fleet of trucks.

On July 13, the truck in which soldiers Ya’akov Twati, 35, and Habtamu Abebe, 19, were driving flipped while traveling along a highway in southern Israel.

According to the military, “no technical or maintenance issue was found” with the truck, and the soldiers were properly trained on how to operate the vehicle.

“The investigating team determined that the truck overturned as a result of driving that was inappropriate for the road conditions,” the army said in a statement.

However, the investigation, whose conclusions were presented to IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot last month and then shown to the families of the deceased soldiers, finds a number of problems with the military’s trucks.

Systems that are meant to assist drivers, like Mobileeye, were apparently disconnected from some trucks. The training of reservist drivers was also found to be inadequate.

The army says the issues that came up in the investigation “will be taken care of by the relevant bodies.”

— Judah Ari Gross