Indictment Filed Against Driver Who Struck Officer and Fled on Highway 1
A 25-year-old West Bank resident was indicted for striking a police officer on Highway 1, driving without a license, and attempting to disguise his car during a high-speed chase.
An indictment was filed against a 25-year-old resident of the West Bank village of Ni'ama, who was illegally present in Israel and never held a driver's license, following a dangerous high-speed escape on Highway 1. According to the investigation, the incident began during a traffic police checkpoint at the Sha'ar HaGai Interchange on Highway 1, when officers stopped the suspect's vehicle for a routine drunk driving check.
When asked to identify himself, the driver suddenly accelerated, striking a police officer and a patrol car before fleeing the scene. The injured officer sustained hand and knee injuries and was evacuated to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem for medical treatment. The vehicle was later spotted along the Ayalon Highways, where the driver continued to flee at excessive speeds, weaving dangerously through traffic and driving on the hard shoulder.
The suspect subsequently drove to Jerusalem, where he crashed into a pole during another escape attempt and fled on foot. An investigation by the Traffic Directorate's Central Unit and Jerusalem District traffic investigators revealed that the suspect lacked a driver's license, stayed in Israel illegally, and drove a car fitted with forged license plates. In an attempt to obstruct police, the suspect tried to alter the vehicle's appearance by sanding its paintwork in preparation for a respray. The car was later located and seized in the Ramallah area.
Intelligence operations eventually led detectives to track the suspect to a cemetery in Lod, where he was transporting another illegal resident. The suspect again attempted to ram police vehicles, but detectives successfully blocked and arrested him. The Jerusalem Traffic Prosecution Unit filed multiple charges, including reckless driving, hit-and-run, driving without a license or insurance, obstruction of justice, and forgery. Prosecutors have requested his detention until the end of legal proceedings.
