Ron Oved, 18, named as teen killed when parked bus rolled into army tryout group

The IDF on Friday named the teen killed when an empty bus rolled and hit a group of young Israelis while they were attending tryouts for a military combat unit on Thursday afternoon, as Ron Eliyahu Oved, 18, from Palmachim in the center of the country.

Oved’s family have decided to donate his corneas, Army Radio reported.

Oved’s funeral will take place at 12:30 pm on Friday at the Palmachim cemetery. His family has requested it remain a private ceremony.

On Thursday a bus rolled into a group of tents used by the teenagers close to the kibbutz of Shomria in southern Israel. The empty vehicle was parked and the driver was outside when it suddenly began rolling toward the tents. Some managed to run from the bus, while others were hit.

On Friday a lawyer for the driver said he had gone to use the bathroom and left the bus parked using the handbrake but the bus gears were set to “drive.”

“The driver claims that he does not remember changing gear,” explained attorney Raz Keren Yehoshua. “The bus was running, he started it a few minutes earlier for the soldiers to board. When he was in the bathroom, he heard shouts and saw the bus.”

Israel Defense Forces military police and the Israel Police opened an investigation into the incident, the IDF said in a statement.

Six people were injured in the accident, including Oved who was later pronounced dead.

The Magen David Adom emergency services said two others were in moderate condition and three lightly injured.

Emergency personnel arrived at the scene to find the six suffering from injuries to their torsos and heads.

Some of the injured had been trapped under the bus, and IDF medical personnel assisted in the rescue, Hatzalah emergency service said.

The teenagers were taking part in a tryout for a volunteer-only combat unit, known in Hebrew as a gibush. The incident occurred near the main training base for the paratroopers brigade in the northern Negev.