A devastating head-on collision near Beit Shemesh claimed the lives of two men early Wednesday morning, including Rav Meir Turgeman z”l, a 42-year-old father of nine who had celebrated his son’s bar mitzvah just days earlier. A 35-year-old woman was also injured in the crash and was transported to the hospital in moderate condition.

The fatal accident occurred at approximately 2:03 a.m. on Highway 383, south of Zecharyah, when two private vehicles collided head-on. Emergency responders arriving at the scene found extensive destruction, with both vehicles heavily damaged.

Rav Turgeman, a resident of Beit Shemesh, is survived by his wife and nine children. His sudden passing has left family and friends in profound mourning, coming only days after the family’s joyous bar mitzvah celebration.

Large forces from Magen David Adom, United Hatzalah, and ZAKA rushed to the scene, where they encountered two men with no signs of life. One of the victims was trapped inside his vehicle, requiring a lengthy rescue operation.

MDA paramedic Tzuriel Meyers, senior EMT Yehoshua Gottlieb, and EMT Shmuel Arieli described the devastating scene.

“This was a very severe traffic accident involving two vehicles,” they said. “We found a man in his 40s lying on the side of the road unconscious, without a pulse or breathing, suffering from significant injuries. Another man was trapped inside his vehicle, also unconscious.”

The paramedics added, “We conducted medical examinations, but tragically both victims showed no signs of life, and we had no choice but to pronounce them dead at the scene. At the same time, we treated a woman who sustained moderate injuries and evacuated her to the hospital.”

United Hatzalah volunteers Moishy Siruka, Mordechai Dovid Goldman, and Dudi Wertheimer also described the scene.

“This was a difficult accident involving two vehicles,” they said. “We performed resuscitation efforts on two men in their 30s and 40s, but due to the severity of their injuries they were pronounced dead at the scene. We also treated a 35-year-old woman who was moderately injured before she was transported to the hospital for further care.”

Volunteers from ZAKA’s Beit Shemesh unit worked throughout the night to ensure kavod hameis and recover all remains from the scene.

Avremi Kapp, commander of ZAKA Beit Shemesh, together with deputy commander Yosef Chaim Hauzi and volunteers Shlomi Kapp, Shlomi Peretz, and Arel Pintz, said, “This was an extremely difficult accident involving two vehicles. When we arrived, both vehicles were completely wrecked and had come to rest on opposite sides of the roadway.”

They added, “One of the vehicles required a lengthy and complicated extrication by the Fire and Rescue Service. The two men, both around 40 years old, suffered catastrophic multi-system injuries and showed no signs of life. MDA personnel were forced to pronounce them dead at the scene. We are now ensuring kavod hameis and recovering all remaining evidence from the site.”

Israel Police said officers from the Yerushalayim District, Traffic Division, and Border Police responded to the scene near Tel Azekah on Highway 383.

According to the preliminary police investigation, the crash appears to have been a head-on collision between two private vehicles. Authorities confirmed that two people were pronounced dead at the scene, while a third victim was transported to the hospital in moderate condition. Police have opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash.

{Matzav.com}