Pregnant Woman Killed by Bus in Roshon Le Zion, Part of Deadly Day on Israeli Roads

A pregnant woman, Sapir Kozi Peretz, 36, was killed by a bus while crossing the street in Rishon Le Zion on Thursday morning, just hours before the Rosh Hashanah holiday. Peretz, who was four months pregnant and a mother of two, was on her way to a hair salon when the incident occurred. She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition but later pronounced dead. Her family, who had just finished observing the seven-day mourning period, had planned to celebrate the holiday together, but instead gathered at the cemetery.

Peretz's sister, Ofir Cohen, described the holiday as "the saddest in the world" and appealed for the return of Sapir's stolen phone, which contains precious family memories and photos. The family has many unanswered questions about the accident, as police have not yet released full details pending the investigation. They were told that Peretz was in a crosswalk when the bus struck her.

Peretz, who lived in Rosh Ha'ayin, was married with two children, aged 12 and 2. She had previously worked at "Clal Insurance" and was nearing completion of her studies in medical cosmetics, with plans to open her own practice. She grew up in Rishon Le Zion and was killed in the city where her parents and sisters live.

Peretz's death was one of five fatalities on Israeli roads on Thursday. Earlier, two men were killed in a car crash near Rahat, a cyclist died in Tel Aviv after being hit by a stolen car, and a taxi driver was killed when his vehicle was hit by a bus on Highway 1. According to the National Road Safety Authority, 321 people have died on Israeli roads since the beginning of the year.