On Friday Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir was slightly injured in a car accident after his vehicle overturned. The incident occurred while he was leaving the scene of a terror stabbing in the city of Ramle, near Tel Aviv. Witnesses reported that his car ran a red light.
Two cars collided, resulting in five people being lightly injured. National Security Minister Ben Gvir, who was conscious and in good condition, was taken to the nearby Shamir Medical Center for further treatment. He will be staying in the hospital overnight for observation.
According to a subsequent statement, the injured included one of his daughters, a guard, and his driver, as well as the driver of the other vehicle. Hebrew media outlets reported that neither Ben Gvir nor his daughter were wearing seatbelts.
The driver of the other vehicle informed Ynet that he experienced intense pain throughout his body.
He said, “I drove through a green light, and Ben Gvir’s entourage entered the junction on a red light.” He added “I have no history of traffic infractions. My whole body hurts, and most likely I won’t be released from the hospital tonight. I still need to get scans done and it seems likely I have fractures in my ribs and my neck.”
Authorities are currently examining the circumstances surrounding the collision. According to Hebrew media reports, Ben Gvir’s driver is undergoing questioning with caution.
Ben Gvir’s office asserted that his vehicle went through a red light due to operational considerations, citing his status as a minister in a city with both Arab and Jewish populations.
According to witnesses quoted by Israeli news outlets, Itamar Ben Gvir’s car allegedly ran a red light, as captured by video footage from a dashcam at the accident scene.
רכב השר עובר באדום כשכלי רכב נוסעים משמאל: תיעוד התאונה שבה נפצע בן גביר@hadasgrinberg pic.twitter.com/AmCY4pGHD7
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) April 26, 2024
In the video, the black sedan approaches the junction, nearly coming to a complete stop at the red light. However, it proceeds into the intersection, cutting across the path of the first vehicle, which manages to brake in time. Unfortunately, a second car collides with the minister’s vehicle, causing it to flip over.
While passing through the red light intersection, one of Ben Gvir’s security vehicles followed him, but fortunately, it was not involved in a collision.
Last August, one of the vehicles in Minister Ben Gvir’s convoy was involved in an accident in Jerusalem after proceeding through a red light.
In September, a Haaretz report revealed that the Shin Bet unit responsible for protecting public figures had expressed concerns to the Prime Minister’s Office and the National Security Ministry.
Ben Gvir’s bodyguards had complained that the minister frequently instructed his drivers to violate traffic rules, putting not only his own life at risk but also endangering the lives of his driver and security personnel.
According to an source quoted by Haaretz, Ben Gvir drives as if he were the prime minister, refusing to be stuck in traffic. The situation is seen as a potential disaster waiting to happen.
The report indicates that traffic violations occurred during non-emergency trips, such as driving to Knesset meetings and TV interviews.
Since 2000, the minister has committed a litany of traffic violations, including running red lights, using a phone while driving, speeding, crossing solid white lines, and driving without a seatbelt. These 78 infractions were exposed by the Kan public broadcaster in September.
Following Kan’s report, Ben Gvir asserted that the Israel Police had provided him with NIS 25,000 ($6,500) as compensation for wrongful arrests, and he contended that his infractions were no longer relevant.
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