Israeli injured in New Orleans terror attack suffered severe head injuries, remains in serious condition

One of the Israelis injured in the New Year’s Eve terror attack in New Orleans earlier this month is still hospitalized in serious condition, Ynet reports, due to severe head injuries sustained in the attack.

Adi Levin, 23, was in New Orleans with his friend, an IDF reservist identified only as Y, when Shamsud-Din Jabbar rammed a pickup truck into a crowd celebrating the New Year in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Fourteen people were killed and some 30 were injured, Levin and Y. among them.

Speaking to Ynet, Adi’s father Hagai says that although his son’s condition fluctuates, he is “optimistic” about his ability to recover.

“His life will change,” he says. “He’ll have metal rods in his arms and legs from now on, and an open head wound and he’s missing part of his skull. There are other injuries we’ll only be able to fully understand in a month, when we begin the process of rehabilitating his head.”

He says that once Adi is stable enough, they’ll return to Israel to continue the recovery process, although it will mean leaving their home in the Golan Heights and moving to Tel Aviv so that they can be close to the hospital.

Hagai tells Ynet that the truck hit Adi “head-on” as it careened down the road, and “crushed his legs and his head, and dragged him down the road.”

Y., Adi’s travel companion, is still hospitalized as well, but is able to communicate with his family and is looking forward to returning to Israel, Ynet reports.