An Arab driver who ran a red light at the Gush Etzion Junction on the first night of Hanukkah turned himself in to authorities Wednesday evening after hitting an Israeli man.
Authorities determined that the incident was not a terror attack, but rather an accident that became a hit-and-run when the driver, fearing he would be considered a terrorist, initially continued driving.
He was stopped near the Jewish community of Elazar, not far from the Gush Etzion Junction, and turned himself in to authorities.
A 25-year-old man was seriously injured in the incident. The victim was treated at the scene for head and abdominal wounds before being taken by Magen David Adom emergency medical responders to Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center.
The Gush Etzion Junction is a major intersection on Highway 60 in Judea, connecting communities on the outskirts of southern Jerusalem with those further south, such as Kiryat Arba, Hebron and Pnei Hever.
The site is also a major target and for decades has seen numerous Palestinian Authority terrorist attacks against Israelis waiting at the busy bus stop. As a result, the incident was initially believed to have been a ramming attack.
