1-Year-Old Maayan Z’l Killed By Drunk Driver Under Influence Of Drugs, Father And Brother Critically Injured

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A family from the village of Nokdim were driving south for an Independence Day excursion in the Negev. A father, mother, and their four children, including 1-year-old Maayan Domnowitz.

On the other side of the road, a young woman was careening down the empty Negev roads, zigzagging from side to side and swerving dangerously. A driver behind the woman alerted police to her perilous driving, but to no avail.

A short time later, the woman, 25-year-old Yana Blum of Rishon Letzion, crashed into the Domnowitz family car, fatally injuring Maayan and critically injuring his father Eliya and 7-year-old brother Ori. The other members of the car suffered moderate injuries- an entire family ripped apart by one thoughtless driver.

Maayan Domnowitz z’l 

Predictably, police found that Yana, who herself was badly injured in the collision, was both drunk and under the influence of marijuana. Moreover she had a past history of driving under the influence of alcohol, and had even had her license revoked in the past for such behavior. Evidently the lesson had not been learnt and Yana continued her profligate driving. Waking up after the accident, Yana did not express remorse and claimed she “didn’t remember anything”.

The accident, one of too many occurring on Israel’s roads, was eminently preventable. Yana should not have been on the roads, should not have been allowed to drive for at least ten years without undergoing a test to determine her state of alertness, should be closely monitored by police if she got in a car. Police should have intercepted her simply for driving dangerously after she was reported to them. A system should exist to warn drivers of people committing traffic offenses in their vicinity.

In the event, Yana was arrested and will be charged with unintentional killing as well as driving under the influence and other crimes. None of this will bring back Maayan, but hopefully the public outrage over the accident will prevent other families from suffering similar collosal tragedies.

Maayan was buried in a tearful funeral at Kfar Etzion without his injured parents attending. Please daven for Eliyah Yinon Shraga Ben Bia Yardena, Ayala Bat Mali Nehama, Ori Amidan Ben Ayala Mali, Neta Avraham ben Ayala Mali, Shachar Yisrael Ben Ayala Mali.