Teen, volunteer police officer killed in collision between vehicle and patrol car

Two people were killed in a car accident in southern Israel overnight on Friday after a speeding car crashed into another vehicle, leaving the driver in serious condition, Hebrew media reported.

According to Ynet, the two fatalities were a 35-year-old volunteer policeman and a 14-year-old boy, Adam Abu Sabith, who was the younger brother of the driver, a 26-year-old woman, and was sitting next to her at the time of the collision.

The police said a car chase ensued after the vehicle was recorded driving on Route 25 at a speed of 170 kilometers per hour (105 miles per hour) and the driver did not respond to orders to halt.

The volunteer was informed of the chase and attempted to block the car’s path at Segev Shalom Junction, where the crash occurred, according to an initial probe by the police.

Police are investigating whether the driver was driving under the influence of alcohol.

“This was a very serious road accident. One vehicle was on the road’s shoulder with its driver trapped and unconscious,” a Magen David Adom paramedic told Ynet.

“In the second vehicle, which was in the intersection, there were two casualties: an unconscious teenage boy and a woman who was semi-conscious and trapped inside the car. While the firefighters carried out the extrication, we performed resuscitation on the trapped victims and provided medical care to the woman, who was severely injured. We then transferred them to mobile intensive-care ambulances and evacuated them to the hospital.”

The three were taken to Soroka Hospital, where Abu Sabith and the volunteer police officer were pronounced dead.