Bridge collapses on Tel Aviv highway, driver killed

A man was killed on a highway in central Israel when driving a truck with an open crane, which hit a bridge, causing it to collapse.

A man was killed in an accident Monday night on a highway near Tel Aviv when the truck he was driving hit a bridge.

Eli Hai Tadari, 58, was driving a truck with a partially extended crane on Route 4 when it hit a pedestrian bridge, causing it to collapse onto the vehicle.

Emergency services and special teams worked for hours to clear the bridge, remove the truck and extricate the body.

Route 4 is a primary artery running through the Tel Aviv area, and the accident caused massive road congestions.

An initial police investigation indicates the truck’s crane was opened, although it is yet unclear as to why. No pedestrian was walking on the bridge when the accident occurred.

“Police units quickly arrived at the scene and dealt with the incident, and luckily no passenger vehicles were driving under the bridge when it fell,” Police Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.

By: World Israel News Staff