Three teenagers aged 16-17 were killed and two others injured early Friday morning in a serious car crash near Beit Hillel in the Galilee in Israel's North, Israeli media reported.
Two of the victims were declared by Magen David Adom paramedics as soon as they arrived at the scene. A third victim later died in the hospital.
The three fatalities were later identified as 17-year-olds Uri Malul and Ariel Stern and 16-year-old Daniel Porat. All three were from Kibbutz Kfar Blum in the Galilee.
How did the car crash happen?
The car crash was the result of two cars colliding with each other near Beit Hillel, one of the cars having three young men around 18 years old and the other having people aged 35 and 43. Emergency services were first notified of the incident at around 2 a.m.
התאונה הקטלנית ליד בית הלל: נקבע מותו של אחד הפצועים. מחקירה ראשונית עולה שאחד מכלי הרכב ביצע פניית פרסה בקטע כביש לא מואר@rubih67 https://t.co/zd49rtknXG
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) January 13, 2023
A preliminary investigation has indicated that the crash occurred because one of the cars for some reason swerved into the opposite lane.
The three 18-year-olds' car was completely crushed, with one of the passengers having to be airlifted to the hospital via helicopter in serious condition where he eventually died. The man and woman in the second car were fully conscious and seriously injured, and they were hospitalized in moderate and stable condition.
Police are currently investigating the circumstances behind the crash.
Deadly car crashes in Israel
The deadly crash was just one of several car accidents to occur overnight.
Two people were slightly and moderately injured respectively in a car crash in Haifa. Firefighters had managed to rescue the passengers trapped in their cars, with the two being sent to a healthcare facility for treatment, Maariv reported.
In another incident, two people were injured when a car crashed into a tree in the West Bank, Walla reported. One of the injured, a 30-year-old man, was in serious condition and taken by MDA medics to Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Hospital for treatment.
The second injured passenger was taken by Red Crescent medics to be treated in Palestinian Authority-controlled territory.