Israel Police reported on Thursday morning that the bus driver involved in the multi-vehicle accident in northern Israel on Wednesday had 51 previous traffic convictions.
Bus driver Asher Basson, 76, who was one of the five people killed in the crash, had deviated from his lane prior to the crash and collided with the guardrail. The bus, on which dozens of children were returning from a Bnei Akiva Sukkos trip, then hit three other vehicles, including a taxi, killing four members of the Ben Eli family. The bus then overturned, crushing Basson underneath.
A total of 62 people were injured in the accident. An 11-year-old girl is hospitalized in the pediatric ICU in Rambam Hospital in serious condition, sedated and ventilated, and another child is hospitalized in the pediatric ICU in Ziv Medical Center in Tzfat.
In addition, there are another 16 children hospitalized in light to moderate condition in Ziv, as well as four adults in light condition.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
2 Responses
Forget about why he was hired by Bnai Akiva to drive a bus with children, why would someone who had accumulated 51 traffic violations not have been jailed or prosecuted? Isn’t there any “repeat” or “chronic” offender law that provides for detention? How could he still have a driver’s license? Someone at BA has blood on his/her hands for hiring him
If there is no law barring repeat offenders from driving buses, there should be. This accident should never have happened.