Nesher accident
Nesher accidentIchud Hatzalah

The truck driver who caused a deadly collision in the city of Nesher in northern Israel will face seven counts of manslaughter.

Five senior officials in the company that employed him will face various charges as well. Among them is the owner of the quarry from which driver Jamal Abu Siam set out on the day of the crash.

Abu Siam was carrying excess weight when he lost control of his vehicle while driving down a steep hill in Nesher, north of Haifa. He collided with several vehicles, killing six people and injuring 15. A seventh man later died of his injuries.

An initial investigation showed that the vehicle had not been maintained properly, causing the brakes to fail. The National Road Safety Authority established a commission to look into the indirect as well as direct causes of the crash.

Two victims of the crash were an uncle and nephew from the Israeli Arab town of Iksal. Four others were from a single western Galilee village, Deir al-Assad; they were buried in a joint funeral as the town declared a day of mourning.

Abu Siam saw his victims’ families in court in April and expressed remorse for the crash.