"Complete disregard for the law": Eight and a half years in prison for a fatal drug-impaired driving accident
Wasim Agbaria has been sentenced to eight and a half years in prison for causing the deaths of two people while driving under the influence of cocaine. The court condemned his actions as a total disregard for public safety.
The District Court in Nof HaGalil-Nazareth has sentenced Wasim Agbaria to eight and a half years in prison. He was convicted of two counts of causing death by negligence and other offenses committed while driving under the influence of cocaine.
According to the indictment, in March 2025, Agbaria was driving a jeep on Highway 71 from Afula toward Beit She'an with a high concentration of cocaine in his system. None of the three passengers in the vehicle were wearing seatbelts, and the vehicle lacked insurance.
Agbaria drove recklessly, eventually striking the rear of a Nissan vehicle. The impact caused both vehicles to lose control, swerve into the opposite lane, hit guardrails, and overturn. Agbaria and his three passengers were ejected from the jeep into a roadside ditch.
One passenger, Asaf Koma, died at the scene from severe head trauma. A second passenger, Yosef Mahamid, succumbed to critical multi-system injuries at the hospital three days later. Agbaria, the third passenger, and the driver of the Nissan sustained serious injuries, and both vehicles were totaled.
Prosecution: "Catastrophic damage"
Advocate Ohad Cohen of the Northern District Prosecutor's Office emphasized that the fatal outcome was the direct result of a series of dangerous decisions made by Agbaria prior to the trip. The prosecution highlighted Agbaria's extensive record, which includes 31 prior convictions, including two for driving under the influence and others for conspiracy and extortion.
Judge Hanna Sabbagh determined that Agbaria’s conduct demonstrated a "complete disregard for the law and public safety." He stated that the defendant's behavior turned the road into the scene of a fatal disaster, for which he bears direct responsibility for the immense physical and emotional damage caused.
While the court considered Agbaria's early confession and his own severe injuries, it noted that his past criminal history failed to deter him from repeating his dangerous behavior. In addition to the prison sentence, the court revoked his driver's license for 15 years and ordered him to pay compensation of 75,000 shekels to each of the victims' families, along with 25,000 and 10,000 shekels to the other injured parties.
