"It could have ended in a funeral": Victims of the accident with Sasson Shaulov speak for the first time

"We were on Rothschild Boulevard, eating dinner, and around 1:40 AM we started heading home," recalls Elia, 18, from Netanya, who was driving the Hyundai Ioniq. "There was a red light, I stopped the car completely and waited for it to turn green. When the light changed, I started driving slowly. When I reached the middle of the intersection, suddenly a car came from the right and hit us. I didn't understand what was happening at all."

The three young men who were in the Hyundai Ioniq during the accident involving singer Sasson Shaulov on July 3 at the corner of Herzl and Derech Jaffa streets in Tel Aviv cannot forget the moment of the crash. In a conversation with Walla, they recount the moments of horror, saying that minutes after the impact, while they were being treated by MADA teams, Shaulov approached them, promised to stay in touch and take care of the damages. However, according to them, he has not contacted them since that night.

"The car kept spinning, I heard people shouting 'stop', I had ringing in my ears and I started to smell something burning," Elia says. "Someone opened the car door and shouted 'get out of here'. My friend helped me get out. I came out dizzy, feeling like I was about to faint. Paramedics had already started checking us."

According to the victims, shortly after, Shaulov approached them. "He asked me to come to the side, told me 'I was the one driving' and helped me walk. I asked him: 'How did you go through a red light? How did you hit me?' and he told me: 'It's not your mistake, it's my mistake. I went through a red light.' He also told me he would pay for everything."

Elia says that since the accident, every trip reminds him of that night. "I have a fear of driving. Every time I reach an intersection, I smell the burning smell again. It comes in flashbacks. Maybe it's because of the airbag that opened on my chest."

Thomas, 18, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, took the brunt of the collision. "The hit was exactly on my side. The airbags opened, the car filled with smoke. My door wouldn't open, so I got out through the driver's door. I was sure the car was about to catch fire."

Thomas was taken to Ichilov Hospital. "The doctors were in shock. They didn't understand how we got out alive. Because of the hit to my head, they put a neck brace on me. I expect there won't be any 'celebrity discount'. It could have ended in a funeral for one of us."

Walla's investigation confirms that no breathalyzer test was conducted on Shaulov. A senior police officer claims that the officer at the scene acted professionally and had no suspicion of alcohol use, thus no test was required. However, the police confirmed that in his interrogation, Shaulov admitted to crossing the red light, and his driver's license has been revoked.

On behalf of Sasson Shaulov, it was stated: "After the accident, Sasson contacted those involved to ask about their well-being. We are acting in the accepted channels to resolve the issue in peace and love."

The victims deny this, stating that Shaulov did not contact them personally, but rather through a representative who offered a sum of money to settle the matter without insurance, which they rejected. Their attorneys, Ben Maoz and Eden Amos, stated: "This is a serious accident that miraculously did not end in the death of the teenagers. We demand that the investigation be conducted thoroughly and impartially, without any preferential treatment."