Police investigating MDA ambulance involvement in car crash

Authorities believe that the off-duty ambulance may have been tracking a stolen vehicle, which led the car to drive in the wrong direction, and resulted in the crash.

By ALON HACHMON DECEMBER 6, 2024 00:23 Updated: DECEMBER 6, 2024 00:58

A Magen David Adom ambulance [File] (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)

Tel Aviv police are investigating the connection between two young men who were seen driving in a Magen David Adom (MDA) ambulance and a fatal accident that happened this week near the Kfar Hayarok junction.

Authorities believe that the two may have been tracking a stolen vehicle in the MDA ambulance while off-duty, which led a stolen car to drive in the wrong direction and resulted in a crash that killed two teenagers.

The accident is being investigated because one of the MDA individuals is involved with a nonprofit organization that works to prevent car theft. 

Lack of video evidence

Police are currently trying to locate security and traffic cameras that may have recorded the stolen vehicle’s route until the accident. However, in a video published by The National Transport Infrastructure Company, the recording only shows the accident itself and not the events leading up to it. 

The Tel Aviv District is working to assess whether the ambulance caused the incident. "At this stage, we cannot accuse anyone. However, if the investigation reveals that they were pursuing the stolen vehicle or conducting unauthorized surveillance, that would be a serious problem," a source familiar with the matter said.

MDA ambulances in the south of Israel (credit: MDA)

"So far, the video in police possession shows the MDA vehicle arriving at the scene only a few seconds after the accident. It's clear that there was no police pursuit at that location or at that time. Therefore, it is still unclear what caused the driver of the stolen vehicle to make the U-turn and drive against traffic, leading to the fatal crash."

The police investigation so far suggests that the driver of the stolen vehicle was an illegal resident who took the car from Petah Tikva and was attempting to flee the area when the accident occurred. 

The police investigation has also revealed that the two young men in the MDA ambulance were not on duty at the time of the crash. 

MDA responded to the incident, stating, "The circumstances are under police investigation, and we will act according to their conclusions.”