A 19-year-old new driver from the Bedouin villages in southern Israel was arrested after he was caught driving on Route 60 at a speed of 201 km/h (125 mph) in a 90 km/h (56 mph) zone. According to the police, after officers indicated to him to stop, he attempted to flee and shut off the vehicle's headlights.
The incident occurred during a joint operation by the National Traffic Police Unit, the Negev National Traffic Police Unit, and the Jeep Unit. The forces were deployed on Route 60 openly and covertly as part of an operation against speeding and attempts to escape from police officers.
At around midnight, the officers, using a LIDAR gun, measured the vehicle driving at 201 km/h and signaled to the driver to stop. The police reported that the driver attempted to flee and shut off the vehicle's headlights while driving.
The vehicle was subsequently stopped, and officers approached the driver. Body-camera footage captures a female officer telling him: “Clearly you’re nervous. You’re driving and turning off your lights when you see a police car. You kept going and were stopped here by the spike strip."
An initial inspection found that the driver was a 19-year-old new driver from a Bedouin community in southern Israel. He was taken for questioning at the Be'er Sheva Police Station and jailed afterward. A hearing at the Be'er Sheva Magistrate’s Court resulted in his detention being extended until further notice.
The operation was conducted as part of a joint campaign by the Traffic Division and the National Road Safety Authority, “Committed to Life," described as a national integrated program to combat road fatalities. As part of the campaign, additional traffic police vehicles have been deployed on roads across Israel.