Indictment Filed Against Driver Accused of Killing Police Officer in Netanya Crash

Israel’s State Attorney’s Office filed an indictment last week in the Central District Court in Lod against 21-year-old Daniel Yevtchenko of Netanya, accusing him of causing death by recklessness in the fatal crash that killed police officer Yaniv Elkaim during enforcement activity about a year ago. The case was submitted by attorney Yael Terem of the Central District Prosecutor’s Office.

According to the indictment, in July, Elkaim and another police officer were carrying out traffic enforcement in a police vehicle in Netanya. They had stopped a Mitsubishi after a traffic violation, and Elkaim was standing beside the car when Yevtchenko drove by in a Mercedes. Prosecutors say he was traveling on an urban road with a 50 km/h speed limit, accelerating far beyond it while weaving between lanes and making dangerous overtakes on both sides.

The indictment says his average speed first reached 61.66 km/h, then 76.32 km/h, then 75.96 km/h, and later 99.43 km/h, nearly double the legal limit. He is also accused of making sharp lane changes, passing vehicles on the right and left, and ignoring traffic conditions. Prosecutors say he then swerved sharply to the right, passed several cars, moved back left, and struck the Mitsubishi with great force while Elkaim was performing his duty.

The impact hurled the car, seriously injured Elkaim, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Elkaim was 42, and he left behind a wife and four children. The Mitsubishi driver was also hurt and taken to Laniado Hospital with injuries. Yevtchenko’s car also stopped after the collision. The prosecution says he created an unreasonable risk of killing a person, and charges him with causing death by recklessness and reckless driving that caused an injury crash. It also asked the court to suspend his driver’s license until the end of the proceedings.