22-Year-Old Driver Released After Hitting Elderly Pedestrian at Geha Junction Protest

A 22-year-old driver from Kafr Qasim was quickly released home after striking a 93-year-old pedestrian during road blockades at Geha Junction on Wednesday night. She was not formally questioned before being let go, and police said she will be summoned later for an investigation by the Tel Aviv District traffic accident unit.

Police described the release as unusual, saying the driver requested medical treatment for herself, and that was the reason they settled for a later summons. That explanation contradicted an earlier official police statement, which said she had turned herself in, was immediately detained for questioning, and initial steps had been taken to clarify the circumstances of the incident.

According to the driver’s version as relayed during the preliminary inquiry, she did not intend to hit anyone and found herself trapped in the tense protest scene at Geha Junction. She said that after striking the elderly man, who was among the crowd there, she panicked when radical Haredi protesters surrounded her car.

The driver told investigators she feared for her life and worried the protesters would lynch her, so instead of stopping to help, she drove away quickly to escape the area. The injured man, 93, was later evacuated for medical treatment and was listed in moderate condition.