Six-year prison sentence for the driver who hit the Rimmel family's car; Family: "A sad joke"
The Jerusalem District Court sentenced the driver responsible for the fatal accident on Highway 443 to six years in prison. The victims' family condemned the ruling, stating it fails to act as a deterrent.
"A disgrace to the court and the state": More than six years after the fatal accident on Highway 443 near Givat Ze'ev, which claimed the lives of 34-year-old Tzipi Rimmel and her three-week-old daughter Noam Rachel, the Jerusalem District Court sentenced Tarek Kard today (Monday) to six years in prison. The driver was traveling at over 150 km/h when he collided with the family's vehicle.
The sentence was handed down two years after the verdict and ten months after the sentencing hearings. Although the prosecution requested a 15-year term, Judge Avraham Rubin imposed only six years, alongside a 15-year license revocation and a suspended sentence for future traffic or violence-related offenses. "The defendant's punishment will be placed in the lower third of the appropriate sentencing range," the judge noted. Additionally, he ruled that the defendant must pay 120,000 shekels to Avraham and Itai, and 25,000 shekels to each of the other family members.
Relatives were outraged, describing the decision as a disgrace. Raziel, Tzipi's brother, told "Hayom" that the punishment fails to reflect the severity of the crimes:
"The judge acknowledged that the driver almost committed murder. Since he cannot be charged with that, he was charged with causing death by negligence, causing serious bodily harm, and other traffic offenses. Two people are dead and others are injured, and he only gets six years? A stronger deterrent is needed."
"This comes after seven years of judicial torture for the family," he added. "Seven years that he has not been in prison, while the husband and son are confined to wheelchairs. The grandfather passed away from a stroke due to the stress. Knowing our country, he will likely have a third of his sentence deducted. He might serve four years, if that."
"In his testimony, he said in Arabic that 'all the guys do it,' referring to 'testing' vehicle speeds on that road. Now everyone knows it is acceptable to kill people on Highway 443. This is a shame for the State of Israel. We hope the prosecution appeals."
The December 2019 accident occurred as the family was traveling from Jerusalem to Neve Tzuf. Father Ephraim was left permanently disabled, and son Itai was hospitalized in critical condition with multi-system trauma.
