Lod District Court sentences driver who made illegal U-turn on Highway 6 while on drugs, drove against traffic and killed Vladimir Donduchenko z"l | Judge: 'He never asked for forgiveness'
The Lod District Court sentenced a driver Wednesday to 10 years in prison for reckless manslaughter after he drove under the influence of cocaine, made an illegal U-turn on Highway 6, and drove the wrong way until a head-on collision killed Vladimir Donduchenko z"l.
Judge Efrat Fink also banned the driver from holding a license for 20 years after his release, imposed a suspended sentence, and ordered him to pay the victim's family 100,000 shekels in compensation.
According to the verdict, the defendant executed a reckless U-turn on Highway 6 and began driving against traffic, immediately endangering dozens of drivers, until he collided head-on with Donduchenko's vehicle. Laboratory tests conducted after the crash proved conclusively that cocaine residue was found in his body.
During the trial, the defense attempted to argue that the blood sample had been contaminated or did not belong to the defendant, and claimed his behavior stemmed from a post-traumatic episode or medication use. Judge Fink rejected these arguments entirely, ruling they offered no explanation for the dangerous and reckless behavior on the road.
A moving and painful moment came during the proceedings when Marina Donduchenko, the victim's partner, described the devastation wrought on her life by the crash. Marina spoke of a loving partner who cared for his family every day, and shared that since the tragedy her son and daughter are terrified of riding in cars and that family holidays have become days of mourning. She added painfully that the defendant never saw fit to ask forgiveness for his actions.
In her verdict, Judge Fink addressed the severe harm to the family with gravity: "Not only was the deceased's life cut short before his time, but the defendant caused immeasurable damage to his family members. We must act decisively to protect the sanctity of life and to deter drivers from dangerous driving under the influence of drugs."
The severity of the sentence was also influenced by the defendant's extensive criminal and traffic record, which includes dozens of prior convictions for alcohol, drugs, violence and property offenses. The judge noted this was "a current and relevant record," and revealed that the driver was even caught committing additional drug offenses while the trial itself was ongoing — contradicting his testimony that he had stopped using drugs.
The court also noted that just one day before the fatal crash, the driver was caught running a red light. The court ruled that while the defendant's medical condition was taken into account, the central and decisive consideration must be public deterrence and removing dangerous drivers from the road.
The verdict joins a series of severe sentences handed down in recent years for fatal traffic offenses. Last month, the Nazareth District Court sentenced a defendant to 22 years in prison for murder with indifference after he shot another driver out of frustration over driving. In that case, the defendant was driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, opened fire on another driver and chased him while wounded until he shot him in the back.
Also last month came the case of a bus driver who gave his life to save soldiers. Avshalom Revivo z"l spotted a truck crossing into his lane on Route 91 and turned the wheel right, so the collision was absorbed by the driver's cabin and the soldiers were saved. His widow said: "He saved my 30 children."
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