A head-on collision between a private vehicle and a minibus on Route 98 near Eifik Junction in the Golan Heights claimed one life and injured nine people on Sunday afternoon.
Emergency dispatch received the call at 3:32 p.m. Magen David Adom paramedics and United Hatzalah volunteers arrived to find a scene of severe destruction. The private car had been crushed against the roadside vegetation and boulders, its front end completely demolished. The hood was torn away, the windshield shattered, and airbags deployed inside the passenger compartment.
Inside the destroyed vehicle, responders found a 35-year-old man unconscious with no pulse or respiration. He had sustained severe injuries affecting multiple body systems. After conducting medical assessments at the scene, paramedics declared him dead due to the extent of his injuries.
Nine other people were treated for injuries ranging from moderate to light. A 30-year-old man suffered moderate injuries and serious trauma to his limbs. Five children, ages 5 to 10, sustained light injuries. Three additional people were injured but treated for minor wounds. All nine were transported to Poriah Medical Center (Northern) in stable condition for further treatment.
Magen David Amod paramedic Tal Tabznick and United Hatzalah responders Shlomi Boxser and Gadi Eli described the scene as exceptionally severe. Responders identified immediately that the trapped passenger had sustained catastrophic injuries, leaving them no option but to declare him dead while simultaneously focusing resources on rapid evacuation of the other injured to hospital.
Fire and Rescue teams from the Galilee-Golan station arrived and used hydraulic extrication equipment to remove the deceased from the wreckage. According to incident commander Lahav Amal Batkish: "Firefighters operated at a difficult and complex scene to extricate the trapped occupant using hydraulic equipment and transfer him to medical personnel. Firefighters also conducted searches for additional casualties and cleared the scene."
Israeli police traffic investigators arrived and began collecting evidence and investigating the circumstances that led to the fatal collision. Route 98 was closed to traffic in the area of the junction for an extended period to accommodate victim treatment, removal of wreckage, and initial investigative procedures.
