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Israeli crash victim, released from hospital, describes moment he learned of wife’s death

“He said to me: ‘Listen, there was a terrible car accident and Tzipi didn’t survive – and I was in shock,” Mr. Rimmel said.

By World Israel News Staff

Ephraim Rimmel has been released from the hospital after sustaining critical injuries during a crash that left his son in critical condition and his wife and newborn daughter dead, reports Arutz7.

According to Yeshiva World News, Rimmel is paralyzed from the waist down, and his 12-year-old son Itai is in a medically induced coma after sustaining life-threatening injuries to his head and internal organs.

On Monday, Rimmel described to Channel 12 News the moment he heard the news after two weeks of being unconscious.

“Everything is foggy from the time of the accident,” Rimmel said. “I began to wake up on Shabbat in the morning and the doctor doing the rounds said to me: ‘Do you remember me? Do you remember the accident?’ And I said: ‘Actually not.’”

“A few hours later, I said to myself: ‘It’s a bit strange that Tzipi isn’t calling, isn’t sending me messages, isn’t saying anything.’ I said to myself: ‘Okay, she has five kids, she has what to be busy with. She’ll definitely show up or call later – in the middle of the day – she has things to do.’”

“That night, someone stayed with me and in the early hours of the morning I said to him: ‘Avi, bring me a phone,’” Rimmel said. “He [Avi] said to me: ‘Listen, there was a terrible car accident and Tzipi didn’t survive – and I was in shock.”

Rimmel somberly added that he expects it to hit him the most when he returns home.

He also told Channel 12 News about how hard it will be for him to see his son Itai.

“Essentially I still haven’t seen him yet. I can’t exactly go up to him in the ICU in my condition… it isn’t the easiest. I think I’m afraid to see him,” he said.

On Dec. 1, near the community of Givat Ze’ev, just north of Jerusalem, Rimmel’s car was hit by an 18-year-old Arab who was going over the speed limit. The teen slammed into their car from behind and pushed it into the car in front of them. Four cars in total were involved in the accident

Tzipi Rimmel, 34, was killed on the spot, and her three-week-old baby girl, Noam Rachel, succumbed to her injuries shortly after being rushed to Hadassah University Hospital.

The Rimmels are from Neve Tzuf, a Jewish town in Samaria.

On Dec. 6., Tariq Kurd, the 18-year-old Arab driver, was charged with negligent manslaughter, which carries a sentence of up to 12 years’ imprisonment. At the hearing, police told the court that Kurd was speeding to test out his new car.