A 12-year-old boy who was riding his bike on Route 4 near Givat Shmuel on Yom Kippur was killed when he was struck by a vehicle, Magen David Adom reported. The 40-year-old driver has been apprehended, Israel Police said.
The boy was set to have his bar mitzvah in another month.
The driver is suspected of drinking and driving, according to media reports.
The incident happened at around 7 p.m. Wednesday night. The boy was transferred in critical condition to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva where he was pronounced dead following attempts to resuscitate him.
The boy was wearing a helmet and elbow and knee pads, according to an MDA paramedic at the scene.
Yom Kippur 2019 was also fatal. Two children riding their bicycles were killed by cars that year – Itai Margi, eight, from Tel Aviv, and Riyad Abu Shriki, 12, from Lod.
Between 2015-2021, six children were killed in accidents during Yom Kippur, according to data provided by Beterem – Safe Kids Israel. Also, in the last decade, 13 times more children were treated in emergency rooms as a result of bicycle accidents compared to any other day of the year.
Israelis take advantage of the Yom Kippur fast day to enjoy time riding their bikes and walking the streets with family, as the majority of the country observes the holiday in some capacity and does not drive.
This year, an 11-year-old child was severely injured in a similar incident on Route 20, MDA said.
The boy was hit by a jeep near Moshav Beit Elazari and was treated by the pediatric emergency department at Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot, the hospital said. He suffered a head injury and other injuries and is continuing to be cared for at the hospital.
Later, Soroka Medical Center said that two other young people – a nine-year-old and an 11-year-old – were hospitalized in critical condition in the hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit due to falls while cycling on Yom Kippur. They both suffered from injuries to internal organs.
MDA reported that it treated about 226 adults and children who were riding bicycles and scooters and suffered broken limbs, cuts and other injuries. Most of them were lightly injured.
The rescue organization drove 135 women to hospitals to deliver their babies. Eight babies were delivered en route by MDA paramedics.
Some 31 people were injured in violent incidents across the country, including two people who were fatally wounded in Acre and Jisr e-Zarka, MDA said.
In total, 2,583 people sought medical attention by MDA, the organization said. Of them, 1,838 were evacuated to the hospital for further treatment.