Police fire at stolen vehicle on Route 60, which overturned and caused a fire; driver in critical condition
Police officers fired at a stolen vehicle on Route 60 after a chase that began in Jerusalem. The vehicle overturned and caught fire north of Kiryat Arba, leaving the driver critically injured. Flames spread to a nearby grove. Police stated that the driver endangered officers and broke through roadblocks.
Police opened fire this afternoon (Friday) at a vehicle on Route 60, after it was stolen in Jerusalem and drove toward the Gush Etzion junction. The vehicle broke through roadblocks and, according to police, endangered officers' lives. Following the shooting, the vehicle overturned and caught fire north of Kiryat Arba, near the Gdat Natan farm. The driver was critically injured. The flames spread to a nearby grove, and Route 60 was blocked in both directions. Fire and rescue forces worked to extinguish the fire in the vehicle and the grove. The incident commander, Fire Officer Liran Ben Harosh, reported that firefighters identified the driver lying next to the burning vehicle, and that the intense heat radiation initially prevented medical teams from accessing him. After searches, the possibility of additional trapped individuals was ruled out.