Fatal Crash in Northern Israel’s Golan Heights Kills One, Injures Nine

A severe traffic accident occurred on Sunday afternoon on Route 98 near the Afik Junction in the Golan Heights, resulting in one fatality and nine injuries. At 15:32, emergency services received reports of a head-on collision between vehicles. Upon arrival, paramedics found one car crushed and embedded in roadside vegetation, with its front completely destroyed and airbags deployed.

Inside the wrecked vehicle, a 35-year-old man was found unconscious, without pulse or breathing, suffering from multiple severe injuries. Despite medical efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Nine other victims were treated and evacuated to Poriya Medical Center; among them, a 30-year-old man sustained moderate injuries with serious limb trauma, while eight others were lightly injured.

Firefighters from the Galil-Golan station used hydraulic rescue tools to extract the trapped victim. The fire chief, Lahav Amal Batash, described the operation as complex and noted that firefighters also searched for additional victims and secured the scene. Israel Police traffic investigators arrived to collect evidence and determine the cause of the deadly crash. Route 98 was closed for an extended period to facilitate rescue, evacuation, and investigation efforts.