Young man killed, others injured after bus runs over Haredi protesters in Jerusalem

A teen has been killed and three others injured after a bus rammed into Haredi demonstrators at the intersection of Yirmiyahu and Shamgar streets in Jerusalem.

The Magen David Adom ambulance service says the victim was around 18 years old.

The driver has been arrested. According to Channel 12, he told police he was trying to get away from demonstrators who blocked his way.

According to MDA, three pedestrians were initially hit during the protests on Shamgar Street. The bus continued on to Ohel Yehoshua Street where it hit another pedestrian. It said two of the victims were 14 and 17 years old.

“We received a report of several pedestrians who were hit by a bus during a demonstration,” Emergency Medical Technician Eli Eisenbach says. “When we arrived at the scene of the accident, we saw a difficult sight. There was a lot of commotion, and a young victim, approximately 18 years old, was trapped under the bus. During the rescue operations, we performed medical examinations and found that he had no pulse, was not breathing, and was suffering from very severe multi-system trauma. Unfortunately, we had to declare his death at the scene of the accident.”

Graphic video from the scene shows the bus driving through the intersection, where protesters had set a fire, a victim being pushed underneath it as bystanders scream. Witnesses who spoke to the Times of Israel across the street from a burning dumpster said that the young men had attempted to block traffic, although this reporter was unable to corroborate their statements.

The Times of Israel witnessed emergency responders attempting to extricate somebody from under the bus on Ohel Yehoshua Street before being pushed away by police.

“Israel Police forces are working to disperse a violent disturbance in Jerusalem, after a handful of rioters threw objects and eggs at police officers, set fire to bins, blocked vehicles and attacked journalists,” police say in a statement.

“A bus that passed by, apparently during the disturbance, hit several participants, and as a result, there are several injured people at the scene, and the case is under investigation. The bus driver was arrested and taken to the police station for further investigation,” police say, adding that journalists at the scene were attacked with stones and taken for medical treatment.

“The Israel Police will continue to act decisively against anyone who harms public safety, journalists and police officers, while maintaining the law and public order,” they add.