Man Killed After Stopping to Help Accident Victims on Highway 4 in Fatal Crash
Daniel Berhanu was not involved in the initial accident that occurred early one morning in March last year on Highway 4. According to the indictment, he stopped to assist victims of a prior collision where a Suzuki car was rear-ended, spun, and stopped in the left lane facing the wrong direction. Several drivers stopped to help, with some rescuing the driver and others trying to move the vehicle to the roadside. Berhanu and another individual approached to assist, while two civilians stood on the road signaling and using phone flashlights to warn oncoming traffic.
Despite these warnings, the tragedy unfolded when 23-year-old Ifem Metsarwa from Tayibe arrived at the scene driving a Fiat 500. The prosecution alleges he was under the influence of drugs, driving without a valid license or insurance. Toxicology tests reportedly found active cannabis, cannabis metabolites, and cocaine metabolites in his blood. Metsarwa allegedly continued driving in the left lane without slowing or braking, even though he could see a person signaling him to slow down from 572 meters away. Seconds later, he collided with the stationary Suzuki and struck two people standing nearby.
Berhanu was thrown over the safety barrier into oncoming lanes, where he was run over by additional vehicles and killed. Another person was severely injured, hospitalized unconscious with multiple injuries including head trauma and fractures, and remained in intensive care for months. Metsarwa himself was also injured in the crash.
The indictment charges Metsarwa with negligent homicide, serious injury, driving under the influence, driving without a valid license, and driving without insurance. The prosecution has requested to keep his license revoked throughout the legal proceedings. Evidence includes traffic expert opinions, eyewitness testimonies, accident scene footage, medical records, and toxicology results. Metsarwa reportedly changed his statements about drug use multiple times during the investigation. He also has five prior traffic convictions, including running a red light, and is currently detained in a separate criminal case involving weapons and failure to prevent a terror act.
The case centers on a tragic sequence where a man who stopped to help accident victims became a fatal victim himself. The court will now determine whether Metsarwa’s actions caused the fatal outcome that night.
