Heroic Bus Driver Dies Saving 30 Soldiers in Head-On Collision

A fatal road accident on Route 91 in northern Israel claimed the life of 61-year-old Absalom Revivo, a bus driver from Ashdod, on Wednesday afternoon. Revivo was transporting soldiers from the Tel Nof Air Force base when a truck veered into his lane from the opposite direction. It has since emerged that Revivo's quick thinking in the moments before the collision saved the lives of approximately 30 soldiers on board, some of whom sustained only minor injuries. The bus company, "Ha'moביל Ha'artzi," stated that Revivo saw the truck approaching and swerved his bus to the right, absorbing the full impact of the collision himself. Rescue forces worked for an extended period to extract Revivo from the crushed driver's cabin. Paramedics attempted to resuscitate him but were forced to declare him dead at the scene. The truck driver, around 50 years old, was seriously injured and airlifted to a hospital, while the soldiers were taken to Ziv Medical Center in Safed. Revivo, who is survived by his wife and three children, was hailed as a hero by his widow, Vered, who said, "He saved my thirty children." She recounted that he swerved right to take the impact on himself rather than allowing the truck to hit the middle of the bus. Doron Shukrani, owner of the bus company, described Revivo as a veteran, dedicated, and responsible driver who had worked for them for four years. He added that initial police investigation suggests the truck swerved directly into Revivo's lane. Shukrani stated that if Revivo had swerved left, he might have survived, but the soldiers would have been hit. The company's safety officer will review data from newly installed cameras on the bus to clarify the accident details. The bus drivers' union called for official state recognition of Revivo's heroism, noting that such scenarios are used in driver training simulations. They emphasized that his actions saved the soldiers from severe injuries and called for a civilian medal of valor from the Ministry of Transport or the President.