The gag order has been lifted on the identity of the person killed and a second seriously injured in a car accident that took place on Wednesday near Ramot Naftali in Israel’s Galilee. The accident which took place claimed the life of an Israeli soldier and left an officer in serious condition. A third person who was driving a cement mixer that was involved in the accident was moderately injured.

The accident occurred on Highway 886 near the Metzudat Koach intersection in the upper Galilee. United Hatzalah volunteers and Magen David Adom ambulance crews provided medical treatment for the injured at the scene.

United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Itai Chinitz who was the first responder at the scene said: “This was a very difficult scene that involved a serious accident between a cement mixer and a commercial vehicle. Fire and Rescue teams extricated trapped individuals from the vehicles. Together with other volunteers from United Hatzalah, I performed CPR on the critically injured person who was extracted from the vehicle by the Fire and Rescue Department. Unfortunately, EMS teams int he field were forced to pronounce his death at the end of an elongated resuscitative effort. Our team of volunteer responders also treated two other individuals, one who was seriously injured while another was in moderate condition.”

The injured officer who suffered a full-system impact, was evacuated by helicopter in serious condition to Rambam Medical Center, where he was immediately taken to the trauma unit. The truck driver was taken to Ziv hospital in Tzfat.

Magen David Adom EMT Amir Amsalem said: “We saw the vehicle that the soldiers were driving in off the side of the road. It was flipped over and one soldier was already unconscious showing no signs of life when we arrived.”

According to Israeli media reports, 333 people have been killed so far in traffic accidents this year in Israel. That number has already risen from last year’s total of 331.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)