The Ashkelon Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday ordered the release to house arrest of the driver suspected of fatally striking 16-year-old haredi youth Naftali Zvi Kramer at Aluma Junction near Kiryat Gat.
Police immediately appealed the ruling, and the court issued a 24-hour stay. As a result, the suspect will remain in custody pending the appeal.
The driver is suspected of causing death by negligence, among other offenses. During questioning, he told investigators that he did not see the teenager before the collision. Addressing the question of public danger, a police representative told the court, “Instead of accelerating toward a crowd of people, one should brake. That is the proper course of action."
Judge Yariv Ben David ruled that the bus driver be released to full house arrest under supervision and restrictive conditions. In his decision, the judge described the incident as tragic but cited several mitigating factors, including the circumstances revealed in the investigation, video evidence presented to the court, the driver’s cooperation with authorities, the fact that he stopped the bus after the impact, and his lack of a criminal record.
“Despite the severe outcome, I find that in these specific circumstances, an alternative less harmful than detention is appropriate and proportionate to both the act and the individual involved," the judge wrote, referring to the incident, which occurred during demonstrations by members of the haredi community at the Komemiyut Junction.