Last update - 00:00 08/03/2007
Police suspect driver in fatal crash may have been under influence
By Roni Singer-Heruti and Mijal Grinberg, Haaretz Correspondents, and Haaretz Service
Police are looking into suspicions that Yaron Bracha, whose car crashed into another car near Lod overnight Thursday, was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash.
Six people were killed and one person was seriously injured in the accident that took place at around 1:30 a.m..
The accident occurred when a driver ignored a red traffic light, entered the Ginaton intersection, and crashed into the side of another car, killing its five occupants.
All five of the passengers were employees of the Egged Bus cooperative who were on their way to Ashkelon after completing the Tel Aviv-Eilat route. They have been named as Moshe Ben Gigi, 44, Aharon Ben Mishu, 55, Michael Kashfur, 28, and Yonah David, 51, all Ashkelon residents, and 42-year-old Itzhak Cohen of Ashdod.
Bracha, the driver of the offending vehicle was seriously hurt and his twin brother, Eyal, who was in the passenger seat, was killed.
Bracha was taken to Assaf Harofeh Hospital in Tzrifin, and police took a blood or saliva sample in order to check for traces of drugs or alcohol.