Three days after a 93-year-old Chareidi protester was struck by a vehicle during anti-draft demonstrations at Geha Junction, the 22-year-old driver involved in the incident has spoken publicly for the first time, saying she feared for her life as protesters surrounded her car.

Dima, a student from Kafr Qasim studying occupational therapy, said she was driving home from school when she became trapped in traffic caused by demonstrators blocking the roadway.

According to her account, protesters surrounded her vehicle, shouted insults including “terrorist,” “Arab,” and “Shiksa,” and refused to let her leave.

She said she took out pepper spray in an attempt to keep people away, but claimed the situation only escalated.

“I told them to move away or I would use pepper spray,” she said. “I got out of the car and stood next to it. When I took out the spray, someone punched me in the face. They pushed me into the door, and I was hit in the chest and shoulder. Only then did I spray.”

She said protesters then began rocking her vehicle and trying to attack her.

“I got back into the car and drove away. I didn’t see that there was a person beside the vehicle. He jumped onto the car. When I heard a bang, I stopped. I went to the police officers and told them I had heard a bang against my car.”

The driver said she only later realized someone had been struck. She voluntarily reported to police, was questioned under caution, and later released under restrictive conditions pending further investigation.

Expressing remorse, she apologized to the elderly victim and said she never intended to harm anyone.

The incident at Geha Junction was one of two vehicle-related incidents that occurred within an hour during Thursday’s Chareidi demonstrations protesting the arrest of yeshiva Bochrim.

Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)