An indictment was filed Thursday against Michael Ben Shimon Cohen, a 55-year-old truck driver from Haifa, for causing the death of 81-year-old Gabriel Kamin at a gas station near Nir Banim on June 5. According to the charges, Cohen argued with Kamin inside the convenience store, and the dispute continued outside.
Investigators say Cohen then got into his truck and began driving away while Kamin was standing near the vehicle and speaking with him. During the movement, the truck struck Kamin, killing him at the scene. Police from Kiryat Malakhi and traffic investigators from the Lakhish district opened a probe immediately after the incident, collected evidence, took witness statements, examined professional findings, and eventually built what they described as a solid evidentiary case.
The article notes that Cohen has a heavy traffic record, including 65 prior driving convictions. It also says Kamin worked at the station where he was killed. His daughter, Sivan Kamin Ofek, described deep grief and anger, saying, “I am trying to understand how to continue living within this pain,” and calling it a story of a society that has grown used to violence.
She said her father was attacked after a man arrived at the station, threatened him, cursed at him, kicked the counter and threw chewing-gum boxes at him. She also said the station reopened at 2:00 p.m. the same day, “while his blood was still on the floor,” and questioned whether a large company should provide continuing support and better protection for workers, especially an 81-year-old employee working alone. She added that while Dor Alon helped and supported the family at first, the deeper issue is “what is expected from human beings” and from a major Israeli company.
