Two killed in overnight car accidents in north and central Israel

Pedestrian declared dead at scene after being hit by vehicle near Acre; motorcyclist dies after hit by truck in Bnei Brak

Two Israelis were killed in a span of several hours overnight Wednesday in a pair of road accidents in the country’s north and center.

In the first incident, a 50-year-old pedestrian was run over by a vehicle on Route 4 at the Shomrat Junction just north of Acre. The Magen David Adom emergency service said its medics arrived at the scene to find the victim’s without any signs of life.

Two hours later in Bnei Brak, MDA medics responded to another crash in which a truck struck a motorcyclist in his 30s, critically injuring him. The man was rushed to Petah Tikva’s Beilinson Hospital where doctors were forced to declare his death after failed resuscitation efforts.

Police said they opened investigations into the circumstances of both crashes.

The two deadly incidents came just days after a bloody weekend on Israeli roads when four Israelis were killed.

The year 2019 saw a significant spike in traffic deaths, with 355 people killed, up from 316 the year earlier, according to the Transportation Ministry.

It is thought that 2020 could see a lower annual rate, but only because Israelis spent a number of weeks sequestered in their homes during the coronavirus lockdown.