BDE: 20-Year-Old Yeshiva Student Killed In Hit-And-Run On Jerusalem-Tel Aviv Highway

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — In a tragic hit-and-run accident in the early hours of Friday morning, Naftali Syewitz, a 20-year-old yeshiva student from Modi’in Illit, was killed and two of his friends were injured, one moderately and one lightly.

Naftali z’l was born in Migdal Ha’Emek to his father Rabbi Rephael Syewitz. A number of years ago he moved to the Heftzibah neighborhood in Modi’in Illit and became close to Breslov chasidim and to the teachings of Rabbi Nachman.

Naftali’s acquaintances describe a sensitive sweet person who greeted everyone warmly. He was well-known in the city since he was accustomed to wearing white clothes for Shabbos.

Naftali and two friends were walking down the shoulder of Highway 1, the main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway, when a car struck them from behind.

Elhanan Roth, ZAKA representative for the Shefela district, described the scene: “It was a very serious accident. Three pedestrians aged about 20 who were on the shoulder of a busy road were hit by a passing car. Two of them were thrown into a ditch on the side of the road beyond the safety barrier. One of them was unconscious with multiple injuries and an MDA paramedic declared him dead at the scene. The other two youths were transferred in light and moderate condition to the Tel Hashomer hospital. ZAKA volunteers dealt with the dead youth’s body at the scene of the tragic accident.”

Syewitz was buried in Migdal Ha’Emek cemetery on Friday afternoon. May his memory be blessed.

Police announced a short time ago that they had arrested the driver of the hit-and-run, a 19-year-old resident of Elad. Two other people who were in the car were detained for questioning.