The Jerusalem District Prosecutor’s Office on Sunday, 28 Tishrei, filed an indictment against the Spanish journalist Julio de la Guardia who ran over and killed chareidi pianist Chaim Tukachinsky Z”L and then fled the scene. The incident occurred near Jerusalem’s Paris Square on the first night of Sukkos, as the niftar was returning from the Kosel.

The indictment charges him with vehicular manslaughter, as well as abandoning the scene, drunk driving, failure to obey a red light, and speeding.

The indictment details that at about 11:30PM, on the first night of Sukkos, the defendant was operating a vehicle heading to his home in the a-Tur neighborhood while drunk. There, he brought three dogs to his vehicle and drove towards Sacher Park. During his trip according to the indictment, at approximately 12:30AM, the defendant arrived from Paratroopers Street towards Kikar Tzahal in Jerusalem. As he approached a red traffic signal, he veered to the left lane towards three motorcyclists. The defendant and the motorcyclists stood at the junction of Tzahal Square when the traffic light was red, and an exchange of words developed between the defendant and the motorcycle riders, which included curses.

When the light turned green, the motorcyclists headed towards Shlomo HaMelech Street with the defendant following behind. The motorcycle operators reported that when the defendant arrived at the intersection of Shlomo HaMelech and Agron Street, he hit the gas as he turned right. He arrived at King George and Ramban Streets, traveling at a speed of over 80 KPH (48 MPH). The defendant crossed the intersection on the red light and struck the victim, Chaim Tukachinsky, with the front right side of his vehicle at the end of the crosswalk in the direction from Paris Square towards the Kings Hotel.

The indictment states the deceased struck the windshield of the vehicle on the right side, which sent him flying about 30 meters into the air, landing on the sidewalk, causing his death.

The indictment concludes that the defendant, who realized he struck the victim, did not stop but proceeded on Ramban and turned right onto Ben-Tzvi and then right onto Sarei Yisrael Street. Afterwards, he headed to Yirmiyahu Street and from there to Levi Eshkol Blvd. until arriving at the parking lot in the area of Binyamin Maar and Martin Buber Streets in the capital. He stopped his vehicle. He never reported the accident or summoned an ambulance to the scene.

Police arrived at about 3:00AM, finding his vehicle and then arrested him.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)