A 17-year-old teen from central Israel died early Sunday after the car he was in collided with a barrier on Route 77 near Ramat Yishai, a small town southeast of Haifa, following a rocket alert in the Jezreel Valley.
The accident occurred around 5:10 a.m., during the third barrage in the region that night. Authorities suspect the driver panicked during the siren and veered off the road.
Magen David Adom (MDA) ambulance service medics and paramedics were alerted to the crash at 5:18 a.m. and found the young man trapped in the back seat of the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Another man in his early twenties was transported to Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa with moderate to severe injuries. Two other passengers sustained minor injuries and were treated on-site.
“We arrived to find a crushed vehicle. A 17-year-old boy was trapped in the back seat, unconscious, not breathing and without a pulse. After extricating him, we had to pronounce his death,” said MDA paramedic Ofer Winik. “A young man around 20 exited the vehicle with injuries. After initial treatment, we transported him to the hospital in moderate to severe condition.”
Yaron Ben-Yishai, commander of the Migdal HaEmek police station, confirmed that the incident is being investigated as a possible result of panic during the siren. “We urge all drivers to exercise caution and avoid traveling north during alerts. There have been multiple incidents of vehicles being hit by interceptor fragments, and we are handling numerous scenes,” he said.
Speaking to Ynet, Brig. Gen. (res.) Hilik Sofer advised drivers on how to respond during a rocket alert: “When you hear a siren in the car, slow down and try to pull over safely. Even if you can’t come to a complete stop, reducing speed can prevent accidents. Turn off the engine, get out, lie down, and wait for at least ten minutes. This can save lives, both from rocket fragments and accidents caused by loss of control.”
The deceased teenager has been identified as Noam Yechiel from the moshav of Ahiezer, near Ben Gurion Airport. Yechiel, a student at Bnei Yissachar Yeshiva, was returning from a Shabbat Chatan celebration in the north for a friend’s wedding when the crash occurred.
Yechiel was traveling with friends back to the yeshiva after visiting the grave of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. His father, Erez Yechiel, a singer and cantor, said, “We spoke on Friday before Shabbat and wished each other a peaceful Shabbat. This morning, the head of the council and police officers came to deliver the bitter news.”
“Noam was a good boy, dedicated to his home and studies at the yeshiva,” Yechiel added. “Even when things were tough, he persevered.”
David Yifrah, head of the Sdot Dan Regional Council, visited the Yechiel family home following the tragedy. “All the residents of the council share in the family's sorrow. Informing them about their son’s death was a difficult and painful moment. The family has deep roots in the moshav, and we are supporting them in these tough times,” Yifrah said.
Noam leaves behind his parents, Erez and Anava Yechiel, and his siblings.