Driver Sentenced to 7 Years for Fatal Crash Killing Engaged Couple

A Beersheba District Court has sentenced Suria Abu Arar to seven years in prison for causing the deaths of engaged couple Shahaf Danino and Eliab Abukasis in a fatal car crash. Abu Arar was convicted of two counts of negligent homicide and one count of illegal overtaking. In addition to prison time, her driver's license was suspended, and she was ordered to pay 360,000 shekels in compensation to the victims' families.

The fatal collision occurred in February 2025 on Route 310 as the couple was returning from a strawberry-picking trip. Abu Arar was driving with her four children when she attempted to overtake two vehicles, entering the oncoming lane and accelerating to 124 km/h (77 mph). Despite having a clear view and seeing oncoming traffic, she continued in the wrong lane for several seconds. One vehicle swerved to avoid her, and Abu Arar then lost control, colliding head-on with the couple's car.

Shahaf Danino's father, Gadi Danino, a senior Magen David Adom paramedic, was called to the scene and was shocked to discover his daughter and her fiancé were the victims. The court heard that the couple was just four months away from their wedding.

During the sentencing, the courtroom was filled with emotional outbursts from the victims' families. Outside the courthouse, relatives of Abu Arar reportedly threw stones at the victims' families, leading to the arrest of two suspects by police.

Presiding Judge Noa Haklai acknowledged the families' "unimaginable pain," stating that the "senseless and unnecessary act shattered their families prematurely." She described Eliab as a kind-hearted individual who aspired to be a police officer, and Shahaf as a kindergarten teacher in special education who was a pillar of support for her loved ones. Abu Arar expressed deep remorse, citing her own difficult mental state and a past tragedy of losing her eldest son in a traffic accident.