Two young women were R”L killed, and dozens injured in a horrific crash involving an overturned bus, Sunday morning.
The crash involved the “304 bus” which was travelling on Route 443 from Modi’in Illit to Har Nof in Jerusalem, and happened in the area of “Beit Horon”.
Dozens of emergency personnel from Magen David Adom, United Hatzalah and other agencies responded to the scene. Some victims were trapped in the wreckage and needed to be extricated by the Fire Department. A crane was brought in to lift the bus to remove victims trapped underneath.
Israel police are confirming a total of 41 injured including 2 critical, 4 in serious condition, and the rest with light injuries (stable condition).
VICTIMS IDENTIFIED: The first victim has been identified as Mrs. Chaya Gutman A”H. She was 24 and a mother to a young child, just one and a half years old. She lived on Shaagas Aryeh Street in Modiin Illit, was the daughter of Reb Dovid Shlomo Mendleson of Kiryat Sefer, and the wife of Reb Hillel Gutman who learns in the Kolle at Yeshiva Knesses Hagdolah.
The second victim has been identified as Ruchama Rosen. She was 27. SHe lived on Meshech Chochma Street in Moddin Illit.
Tehillim is being requested for the following names:
חמדתיה דיצה בת רבקה
תמר בת רבקה
משה בן חנה הנדל
יונתן בן שולמית עטל
Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman responded to the scene as well.
[ESCAPING THE HORROR: Footage Of Yeshiva Bochrim Crawling Out Of 304 Bus]
The cause of the crash is under investigation, although initial reports state that a vehicle in front of the bus suddenly slowed down to look at an accident in the opposite direction. The bus driver did not have time to stop in time, and swerved to avoid the car, causing the bus driver to lose control, resulting in the bus overturning.
The Kavim bus company issued a statement of condolences to the families of those killed and wishes for a speedy recovery for the injured. The company said it was cooperating with the investigation into the crash.
In a shocking twist of events, it is three years ago to the Hebrew date (ה אדר) when the “402 bus” was involved in a horrific crash on Highway 1, resulting in the deaths of six people R”L.
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7 Responses
Awful, awful tragedy.
The list of names given by Jerusalem Post is entirely different than the list from YWN. Not even one name is the same! Can someone please explain? Here is the Jpost list:
Nir Ben Ayala, a 9-year-old currently undergoing an operation
Itamar Shimon son of Uri (10 month old baby)
David son of Batya
Efraim Frig son of Wassy
Abraham son of Donna
Ariel son of Nathalie
Ariel son of Rivka
Masoudi daughter of Esther
Shalom Hai son of Kuchik
Pini Pinchas son of Flora
Yaakov son of Zipporah
Shlomo Shalev son of Rina
Alon son of Aviva
Tami daughter of Esther
Meir son of Tammy
This is tragic
i personally knew Rachel who passed away such a good giving amazing girl in every way.
There are no words left to say just to pray;
May she go straight to gan Eden.
Ruchoma Rosen, A”H, was a special child, the daughter of Rabbi Rosen, who used to be the Principal of Shoshanim Seminary . (She is a sister of Mrs. Chavie Baum of Sanhedria Murchevet).
Hashem should be mecham the entire family.
Prayers for the injured, maimed and killed people from this terrible accident.
There is too much mania, poor driving and general lack of mindfulness on roads in the Holy Land Commonwealth. (By the HLC I mean the following zones: The Platform/The Haram al Sharif/Temple Mount; The Old City of Jerusalem; Judea and Samaria/The West Bank; The State of Israel proper; The Gaza Strip; The Golan Heights).
Mindfulness is the key word here.
I also believe that if more calm reigned from the very top/centre of the management hierarchy/command and control structure in the HLC, a positive trickle down effect would unfold over time. The opposite is also true. i.e. Continued chaos in the minds, worldview and frame of reference of various “leaders” leads to a toxic trickle-down/ripple effect of chaos and balagan on the ground. “The fish stinks from the head”.
Several questions: 1) How many people on the bus were wearing seat belts? I think the law requires bus passengers to wear them but almost no one does. Are the investigators of the crash attempting to estimate how much less severe the injuries would have been if more people had been wearing seat belts? ? According to an article I once saw on the Transport Ministry’s website, in the vast majority of accidents victims aref far better off being held in place rather than thrown around within the vehicle, and all the more so than being thrown out of the vehicle. Even in the rare cases of fires, one has a far better chance of being able to escape to safety if one survived the initial impact with fewer injuries.
was the driver tailgating like so many drivers do?