(AP) — Video footage from a deadly bus crash shows the driver accelerating moments before striking a yeshiva student walking along a roadside, raising new questions about the circumstances of the incident, Israeli media reported.
Naftali Tzvi Kramer, 18, was killed Tuesday near the southern Israeli community of Komemiyut. The clip, recorded by charedi girls riding on the bus, shows the driver picking up speed despite large groups of youths walking nearby after returning from demonstrations. Voices on the recording can be heard expressing alarm just seconds before the impact.
הפרגוד: “קול חי” מפרסמים תיעוד מתוך האוטובוס שדרס למוות את הבחור נפתלי צבי קרמר ז”ל סמוך למושב קוממיות מעלה חשד לדריסה מכוונת: מהצילומים והקולות עולה כי הנהג נסע בזיגזוג לעבר בחורי הישיבה, כשמתוך האוטובוס נשמעות קריאות בהלה של נוסעות שמזהות נסיעה פראית לכיוונם. pic.twitter.com/MCLtKGFGM5
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The driver has been detained for questioning, and authorities said the incident remains under investigation. There has been no official determination of intent.
The crash came amid heightened tensions following other recent traffic incidents involving charedi pedestrians. Earlier this month, a 14-year-old boy was killed in Jerusalem after being struck by a bus during a protest. The driver in that case was initially detained on suspicion of manslaughter but later released under lighter restrictions, drawing criticism from charedi leaders who warned that lenient treatment could endanger public safety.
In a separate incident Tuesday, a car struck a man sitting near Golda Meir Boulevard in Jerusalem, leaving him with moderate injuries, police said.
