IDF tank flips over while being loaded onto truck - watch

An IDF Merkava tank flipped upside down while being loaded onto a moving truck during a drill in the Jordan Valley on Sunday afternoon. Luckily, no serious injuries were reported. 

A soldier who happened to be taking a video of the loading process can be heard in the background being asked whether filming the loading process is a good idea, to which he replied: "When filming a tank going uphill, you never know ... I hope nothing happens."

However, as the driver begins edging the tank forward on its uphill climb onto the moving truck, the vehicle can be seen accelerating wildly before flipping upside down, almost running over the commander who had been attempting to direct the driver onto the truck. 

 

After the flip, the tank's fire defense systems begin to kick in as soldiers surround the tank, one of whom can be heard telling others to call a medical team.

The tank driver, a 24-year-old reserve soldier, was evacuated to Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. According to Dr. Daniel Weiss, director of Hadassah's trauma ward, the driver's vitals are normal and he suffered only light bruising, but will stay in the hospital overnight for so they can supervise his condition.

Following the incident, the division commander instructed to completely halt the movement of all armored combat vehicles in the division until the results of the initial investigation are published.

During the initial investigation, the driver said the gas pedal of the tank had gotten stuck, leading the tank to accelerate as quickly as it did and evetually flip over, Kan News reported on Saturday evening.

Tanks, cannons and Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) are very slow-moving compared to cars and trucks, while also using large amounts of gasoline in the process. While loading them onto trucks can save time and fuel, flips such as these are often fatal, especially in vehicles where the driver's head is not positioned inside the vehicle.