Sophie Rostasky, 28, and her two-month-old son Itai were identified as the victims of last week's road accident. Sophie's husband was severely injured in the crash, and is still fighting for his life Petah Tikva's Rabin Medical Center. The couple's two and a half year old daughter was lightly wounded in the collision, and has been released from the hospital.
The collision, which occurred on Route 7 near Gedera last Thursday, occurred when a truck rear-ended a private vehicle.
"I always loved being around her," a friend of Sophie's wrote on Facebook. "She was young and beautiful both inside and outside. She had a heart of gold which lit up the room she was in. Her love for G-d, for her family, for her friends, was always present. We will miss Sophie and amazing Itai very much. I'm going to miss her smile and her laugh."
Yossi Cohen, an Ashkelon resident who has been identified as the driver of the truck, was placed under house arrest on Sunday. It has not been found that he was driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
However, during his interrogation, the 32-year-old truck driver said that just before the collision occurred his cigarette fell to the floor of his vehicle and he bent down to retrieve it. As he bent over, he lost control of the vehicle, swerving from his lane and directly and forcefully rear-ending the Rostasky family's vehicle.
Attorney Yisrael Nahmias, who is representing the truck driver, said: "He claims he does not remember what happened, what caused the tragic crash to occur. He is in a very severe emotional state, and he has expressed deep sorrow for the loss. He sends his condolences to the family and wishes the injured a speedy recovery."
"In the discussions, a slight suspicion came up that he had used drugs. We could have confirmed this or ruled it out with a quick test which was not done, and for that I am sorry. We could have conducted this test and released him. He claims that he has never used drugs."
On Monday, Nahmias said: "He suffered injuries to his head and does not remember the accident. He should be released."
A police representative said Monday: "He has several offenses, including swerving out of his land and running a red light."