Long Island Jewish Couple Dies in Fatal Boca Crash

BOCA RATON (VINnews/SandyEller) – A Jewish couple from Valley Stream, New York died last week, victims of a devastating crash in West Boca Raton that flipped their car multiple times, sending it rolling across a busy intersection.

82 year old Arie Oberlender and his wife, 79 year old Zahava Oberlander, both died on February 1st after their Nissan Rogue was slammed by a Jeep Grand Cherokee as it drove through the intersection of U.S. 441 and Kimberly Boulevard.

According to NBC 5 (bit.ly/3wWhEuz), the Rogue was headed west on Kimberly at approximately 10:30 AM when the southbound 2016 Jeep ran the red light on U.S. 441 and slammed into the Rogue’s passenger side with enough force to send both cars careening out of control.

The Oberlenders, who have a home in the Boca Raton area, were both pronounced dead before being extricated from the wreckage. An unidentified passenger in their car was removed from the car by Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and taken to Delray Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the Jeep, 35 year old Boca Raton resident Jamie Josue Gomez Escobedo, was also taken to a nearby hospital. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office accident report did not list any injuries for Escobedo but did indicate that drugs and/or alcohol played a role in the accident.

Police closed the roadway for five hours as they conducted their investigation.

No charges have been filed yet against Escobedo, but vehicular homicide investigations often take several months, or as long as a year, in Palm Beach County.