[VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]
One of the allegations against Egged bus driver Chaim Biton, who was at the wheel of the 402 bus from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv that crashed into a truck near Latrun killing six people, is that he tried tampering with the evidence in the case. According to police, Biton took out the tachograph card from the tachometer, referred to as the buses’ “black box” to hide the fact he was speeding. This police explain is nothing less than tampering with evidence in the ongoing investigation.
Superintendent Moshe Cohen explained “The driver maintains he was placing the disc back and closing the box. We were unable to open the box at the accident scene even with the driver’s assistance. We disassembled it and it is in a lab where it will be analyzed and then we will know if he is telling the truth”.
Police have also obtained a warrant permitting them to check his phone towards determining if he was talking to anyone during the forty minutes before the accident. Police add that following the accident, Biton wandered around the accident scene for a half hour until police notified him that he is under arrest.
Biton is being represented by attorney Leah Goldman, telling the press her client shares in the pain of those who lost loved ones in the accident. She feels that nevertheless, there is no reason for him to be in jail, insisting police can complete the investigation if he is released as well.
The driver was arraigned in the Jerusalem Traffic Court on Monday morning 6 Adar I and his remand was extended for three days.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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17 Responses
There is no reason that we should assume this man deserves to be embarrassed like this. And even if he was in the wrong how can your heart allow yourselves to write an article like this.
Guy was aloud to wonder around the crime scene for 30 minutes!
That means so was everyone else
They can’t pin the blame on him
I think there is absolutely nothing wrong with the article. You are speaking about emotions and embarrassment? With all due respect, this man killed and injured people.If he was speeding, talking on the phone or anything other than concentrating on his job, he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.I, generally don’t comment on news articles but, your response is truly the most ignorant one I’ve ever read.
comment #1….of course we can assume that he should be embarrased! he was clearly at fault for directly causing six deaths and many injuries. i guess it depends on whose “ox is gored”. if any of the victims were c”v one of your relatives, you’d probably sing a different tune.
Agreed with #1 1000%
I don’t see any justification to vilify him in such a manner. I can’t imagine the feelings this man must be experiencing at this time. Is this article fair to him, is it fair to his family?? It’s unfortunate; I am sure his picture is plastered across Israeli media sites, but YWN is not the same as Israeli media- I hope.
1 you ve obviously never seen how an egged driver drives nuff said.
What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty?
Halacha not emotion dictates what should be published. As an admitted am haaretz in these halachos I won’t comment right or wrong to publish. I hope the owner of this site is.
It’s a Horrific Tragedy! And this man’s license should be revoked! He acted Totally irresponsible and probably even negligent, thereby causing the Deaths of Innocent and Pure Souls. But what Good is there in Ridiculing him and causing him to become suicidle!
To: berel58
With all due respect, the investigation only recently begun. It is not fair at all to make such a positive statement that he killed people. Let us wait until the proper authorities complete the investigation. As of right now, the police did not say that he was for sure speeding or talking on the phone.
I rarely comment. But in this case, yes the driver feels horrible. Bottom line, he hit a parked truck, that had its blinkers on. I would have him under observation with counseling. The safest place for him may be a jail.
For all of you living in the states: your statements are based on emotions and not facts. Over here many are discussing this man’s past driving behavior. Apparently, he has a history of reckless driving. They report that a similar accident happened with him on the same bus line in 2013 going the opposite direction. Fortunately, people were only injure then.
If there is no blame to place on the truck driver then this bus driver is clearly a murderer (b’shogeg) and should be locked up for life! He destroyed the lives of many families including his own!
i drive that route regularly. the egged drivers are a serious menace to the road, they speed, tailgate and recklessly weave through lanes. I’ve personally seen many close calls that they got into. They drive like animals. What would be so bad if they drove like professional Greyhound drivers? worst thing; they would arrive 2 minutes later. These ppl never arrived at their destination.
I don’t claim to have “Chochmat HaPartsuf” but the driver seems from the picture to be mentally disturbed.In addition, if he was involved in a similar accident in the past, why was he permitted yet again to drive a bus with lives in his hands?
not nice to post his picture
This is character assassination at it’s worst!
The poor man!
He was a decent bus driver
(-by classic Egged standards)
Bad enough he will have live with what happened , the public also now wishes to destroy his reputation?