Driver Suspected in Fatal Hadera Hit-and-Run Claims He Was Attacked

The driver suspected of fatally striking 17-year-old Amichai Atiya in Hadera during a Selichot prayer event claims he was attacked by a large group and feared for his life. In a conversation with N12 from his hospital bed, where he is being treated for a gunshot wound to the hand, the driver stated he was surrounded by 40 to 50 people and was trying to escape when his vehicle likely hit Atiya. "I didn't intend to run anyone over, I am not a terrorist, I just wanted to get out of there alive," he asserted.

The driver further explained that he continued driving after being shot by a member of a civilian security team, who responded to the scene amid fears of a nationalistic attack. "If I had stopped, they would have killed me," he told N12, adding that he saw many people around him and feared for his life, which is why he didn't stop to seek help or call the police.

Police are investigating the incident, which occurred around 1:40 AM in the parking lot of a commercial center where many young people had gathered for Selichot prayers. Initial findings suggest a confrontation escalated between the driver and a group of youths. Security footage reportedly shows the driver's commercial vehicle attempting to flee while being pursued by a crowd, and hitting Atiya during a turn within the parking lot.

Atiya, a 12th-grade student from the settlement of Itamar, was evacuated by Magen David Adom paramedics with severe head injuries and underwent resuscitation efforts. He was pronounced dead at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center. The driver is being questioned by police on suspicion of hit-and-run, reckless driving, and endangering human life.

Atiya was remembered by his community and yeshiva as a beloved teenager and active counselor who went to pray with friends on the night of Selichot and never returned home.