Trucker was on heroin when he crashed, killing 3 — indictment

A truck driver who killed a two-year-old girl and two women in a car crash was driving under the influence of drugs, according to an indictment filed against him Sunday at the Haifa District Court.

Angelique Na’im, 32, her daughter Chloe Na’im, and her sister Olga Ashkar, 38, died in the crash August 3. The women’s husbands, who were with them in the car, were both critically injured.

Kamal Diab, 62, of Haifa, who is accused of causing the crash, was indicted on charges of manslaughter, driving under the influence, and running a red light.

Speaking at the start of the hearing Diab said, “Each day that goes by I feel worse than the day before. It is very hard for me.”

The crash took place at the Fureidis Junction south of the Haifa metropolis in the north of the country at around 46 minutes after midnight on August 2, the indictment said.

Diab was driving south along Route 4 “while under the influence of heroin, and at an unreasonable speed,” it said.

The victims were crossing the junction along Route 70.

“When he reached the junction he continued traveling even though he saw that the traffic light was red,” it said.

The truck slammed straight into the side of the car, causing it to spin across the road and hit the boundary fence.

Diab allegedly continued driving and only stopped about 180 meters further down the road.

During questioning he confessed to using drugs the day before the accident. He said he felt exhausted and told police “it could be” that he fell asleep.

A policewoman at the scene reported that the driver “was very drowsy and could barely hold himself up. His eyes were closed, and he seemed to have difficulty keeping them open.”

Prosecutors requested that he be held until the end of proceedings.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.