Sri Lankan National Charged With Fatal Forklift Crash in Galilee
A Sri Lankan national has been indicted in the Nazareth District Court for driving a forklift while intoxicated and fatally running over a fellow worker in Bu'eine Nujeidat.
A 26-year-old Sri Lankan national has been formally charged with driving a forklift under the influence of alcohol and running over a 38-year-old fellow countryman, killing him at a factory in the Lower Galilee village of Bu'eine Nujeidat. The indictment was filed at the Nazareth District Court by the Northern District Prosecution.
The defendant faces charges of manslaughter with conscious indifference, reckless driving causing severe injuries, and driving under the influence. According to the investigation, the incident took place on the evening of October 14, when police received a report of a workplace accident at the facility.
Northern District police officers and forensic investigators rushed to the scene, where medical teams pronounced the victim dead. The suspect, who does not hold a driver's license, was arrested at the scene and taken to the police station for questioning.
Investigators established that the suspect was operating the forklift outside of working hours while heavily intoxicated when he struck his coworker. Chief Inspector Gal Farkash, head of the investigations and intelligence branch at the Tiberias police station, noted that coworkers attempted to stop the driver and shouted at him to halt before the fatal collision occurred.
Attorney Fathi Foukra, representing the defendant on behalf of the Public Defender's Office, stated that his client insists the incident was a tragic accident with no intent to harm the victim. He added that the two men were close friends with no prior disputes.
