Teen dies in car accident during morning Hezbollah rocket barrage

A 17-year-old died in a car crash during rocket fire from Lebanon, while another man was injured and hospitalized.

 An Israeli police officer handles part of a rocket after it was fired towards Israel from Lebanon, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, in northern Israel, September 20, 2024.  (photo credit: REUTERS/JIM URQUHART)
An Israeli police officer handles part of a rocket after it was fired towards Israel from Lebanon, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, in northern Israel, September 20, 2024.
(photo credit: REUTERS/JIM URQUHART)

A 17-year-old teenager died in a car crash during the rocket barrage fired from Lebanon on Sunday morning, Israeli media reported.

During the rocket barrage targeting Israel’s north on Sunday morning, the teen was in a car driving toward the local council of Zarzir on Highway 77. Near the Yishai interchange, the car the teenager was in collided with the separation barrier and was trapped inside the vehicle.

MDA paramedics who arrived at the scene confirmed the 17-year-old youth’s death.

In addition to the teen, an approximately 20-year-old man was moderately to seriously injured and was taken to Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa.

 Smoke is seen as fires broke out across Israel's North due to a Hezbollah rocket assault on September 4, 2024 (credit: ISRAEL FIRE AND RESCUE AUTHORITY)Enlrage image
Smoke is seen as fires broke out across Israel's North due to a Hezbollah rocket assault on September 4, 2024 (credit: ISRAEL FIRE AND RESCUE AUTHORITY)

"We arrived at the scene and saw a crushed vehicle," shared MDA paramedic Ofer Vinik and emergency medical technician Tal Nixon. "In the back seat, we found an unconscious 17-year-old teenager not breathing and without a pulse. After he was taken out [of the vehicle], we had no choice but to declare his death."

Hezbollah rocket fire linked to accident

Concerning the man injured, MDA paramedics said he was "fully conscious. He got out of the vehicle with injuries. After initial treatment, we evacuated him to the hospital in moderate to serious condition. Two other passengers were slightly injured and treated at the scene."

The accident occurred during the Hezbollah rocket fire directed at the north on Sunday morning, which Hezbollah stated was aimed at the Ramat David Air Force base. Hezbollah had threatened during the war to target the base and even published footage of it taken by a drone that entered Israel.

The base has been considered a target by Hezbollah for decades; for example, during the Yom Kippur War, the Syrians fired missiles that hit the base and nearby communities, resulting in the death of an Air Force pilot and injuries to soldiers.

In the Second Lebanon War, Hezbollah also attempted to strike the base, with two missiles hitting nearby towns.