6 years in prison for driver who caused road accident that killed Tzipora Rimel and her baby daughter
The Jerusalem District Court sentenced Tarek Kard to six years in prison for two counts of negligent homicide in a fatal road accident on Highway 45, in which Tzipora Rimel and her baby daughter Noam Rachel Rimel were killed. In addition, his driver's license was suspended for 15 years, and he received a suspended sentence and was ordered to pay compensation to the family. The court found that Kard drove at 140-145 km/h and hit the family's car, rejecting defense claims of a technical malfunction. The prosecution had sought 15 years, while the defense requested community service.
The Jerusalem District Court on Monday sentenced Tarek Kard to six years in prison for two counts of negligent homicide in the fatal road accident on Highway 45 near Ofer Prison. The accident, which occurred in December 2019, killed Tzipora Rimel and her baby daughter Noam Rachel Rimel, and seriously injured other family members. In addition to the prison term, Kard received a 15-year driving ban, a suspended sentence, and was ordered to pay compensation to the victims' family. In its verdict, the court determined that Kard drove at a speed of 140-145 km/h and struck the family's vehicle, rejecting the defense's claim that the accident was caused by a technical malfunction. The court also found that Kard had the required mental element for conviction of negligent homicide. During sentencing arguments, prosecutor Yael Agra from the Jerusalem District Attorney's Office requested a 15-year prison sentence, along with additional penalties. The prosecution argued that Kard bears sole responsibility for the accident because he did not brake before hitting vehicles stopped at a red light, and drove at excessive speed during a 'test drive' in a vehicle he was not accustomed to driving, and did not take responsibility for his actions. The prosecution further argued that no significant weight should be given to his claims about his mental state, and that given the intolerable ease with which hundreds of people lose their lives on Israeli roads due to reckless driving, a harsh and deterrent punishment should be imposed to send a clear message to drivers. The prosecution emphasized that Kard's actions destroyed the world of an entire family, and that these actions led to a fatal outcome, requiring severe and deterrent punishment. Kard's defense attorney, Mangan, requested that he be sentenced to nine months of community service.