Heartbreaking tragedy: Police officer arrives at bus crash scene, finds his 22-his year-old son dead 

A 22-year-old man was killed and 12 others injured to varying degrees early this morning (Monday) in a bus which overturned on Route 40.

After 2:00 AM, rescue forces were summoned to Route 40 heading south, near the Ma’ahaz interchange, following a report of a bus that had overturned.

Paramedics and medics found a man at the scene with severe multi-system trauma, showing no signs of life, and pronounced him dead. Additionally, they provided medical treatment to 16 injured individuals, including 2 in moderate condition and 14 in mild condition.

Magen David Adom (MDA) reported that MDA teams provided medical care and evacuated 12 injured individuals to Soroka Hospital, including: 3 in moderate condition—a 16-year-old boy with a head injury, a 29-year-old man with a chest injury, and a 43-year-old man with limb injuries—along with 9 others in mild condition.

Volunteers from United Hatzalah, Yanki Weinberg, Shlomo Rothschild, and Dudi Klein, reported: “This was a bus that flipped onto its side into a ditch. One man was killed after being found trapped with no signs of life. Additionally, we provided medical treatment to 16 casualties, including 2 in moderate condition and 14 in mild condition, and they were evacuated for further treatment at the hospital.”

Paramedic Ronen Shunam HaLevi, medic Naftali Halberstadt, and senior MDA medic Aviran Goshen said: “The bus was flipped onto its left side, and beneath it was a trapped man, unconscious, showing no signs of life, with very severe injuries to his body. We conducted medical assessments, but unfortunately, his injuries were significant, and we had to pronounce him dead at the scene.

“At the same time, other forces arriving at the scene provided medical care to approximately 12 injured individuals, including 3 in moderate condition and 9 in mild condition. All the injured were evacuated to Soroka Hospital in intensive care ambulances and MDA ambulances, and their condition is stable.”

Yoel Anaki and Shlomo Zuckerman, ZAKA volunteers from the Lakish region who arrived at the scene, said: “When we reached the scene, we saw a difficult situation with numerous casualties resulting from the bus overturning. Unfortunately, after a complex extrication by the fire services, MDA teams at the scene had to confirm the death of a 22-year-old man who was trapped under the bus.”

The police stated: “Israel Police opened an investigation into a fatal traffic accident that occurred a short time ago on Route 40, near Kiryat Gat, involving a bus. Fourteen injured individuals of varying degrees were evacuated from the scene to a hospital for medical treatment. Emergency and rescue forces are still operating at the scene to assist and extricate casualties.

Traffic accident investigators from the Lakish region are working at the scene as part of the opened investigation. At this stage, the road is closed, and station officers are directing traffic to alternative routes."

UPDATE: The man who was child killed in the horrific bus accident on Route 40 tonight is the son of the Southern District Traffic Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Yosef Avitan. His father, who arrived at the scene, discovered his son's death when he arrived.