About a year ago, R’ Itamar ‘S’ picked up the Levenberg family of Jerusalem’s N’vei Yaakov neighborhood, giving them a ride into the center of town. They were looking for a ride from Pisgat Ze’ev to the city center. The parents, Moshe and Devorah, along with 2-year-old Aliza got into the vehicle. Itamar did not make certain that mom was using her seat belt, as the law requires, and it appears he was not concerned with the fact that he lacked a baby seat for the toddler, wishing to do a good deed, giving them a ride.

On their way into town, on Uzi Narkis Boulevard, R’ Itamar lost control of the vehicle and slammed into another vehicle traveling in the opposing lane. Devorah and Aliza were killed instantly and Moshe was seriously injured.

An indictment of negligent vehicular manslaughter was filed against the driver, with each count carrying a three-year jail term. As the trial began, most expected that Itamar would be sentenced to six years in jail, but as a result of a plea-bargain agreement accepted by Traffic Court Justice Yosef Rivlin, he was sentenced to six months of community service, a suspended license for 15 years and a suspended jail term of seven months, which will be actualized if he violates the suspension of his license.

In his ruling, Rivlin stated the accident was most serious, involving the loss of lives, allegedly due to negligence. He concluded that while the facts in the case support the allegations, he does think a jail term is necessary.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)