Nesher accident
Nesher accidentIchud Hatzalah

The head of the National Road Safety Authority, Ron Moskowitz, announced Wednesday evening that a commission will be established to investigate both the direct and indirect causes of the accident in Nesher, near Haifa, in which six people were killed.

The committee members have been instructed to use the services of specialists from the Technion, if necessary.

The committee was instructed to give special attention to the following issues:

• Truck safety, focusing on brake systems and overweight.

• Characteristics of driver behavior in the case of loss of brakes or other failures.

• The safety and support system that is expected to conduct inspections and guide the driver.

The committee's conclusions and recommendations on how to prevent accidents with similar characteristics in the future will be submitted within 90 days.

The accident occurred Wednesday afternoon after a truck collided with several vehicles on Bar Yehuda Road in Nesher.

A preliminary examination by police found that the truck lost the use of its brakes, causing it to slide down the steep road, and that it carried excess cargo at a rate of about 15% more than is legally permitted. It has also been discovered that during the last ten years, the driver of the truck was charged with no less than 16 traffic violations. Police are investigating whether there was a technical reason for the brake failure or whether it was caused by negligence on behalf of the driver.

The truck driver, 30-year-old Jamal Abu-Siam, was lightly to moderately injured in the accident and was taken to the Bnei Zion hospital in Haifa. Police are expected to ask the court to extend his remand on Thursday.