Yonatan Padida was convicted of trampling two cyclists in Sharon Israel today

The court approved the plea deal, in which Padida admitted to the offense of reckless killing of the two cyclists • The prosecution is expected to demand 12 years in prison

• Jonathan Padida in court

  Photography: 

  Yossi Zeliger

The Lod District Court this morning (Tuesday) approved the plea agreement in the case of Jonathan Padida, in which he admitted to the offense of manslaughter and was convicted of trampling two cyclists in the Sharon about two years ago.

The prosecution is expected to demand 12 years in prison.

About a year ago, an indictment was filed against Padida, 29, from Or Akiva, for the frivolous deaths of the late cyclists Yaniv Lugassi and Tomer Weinstein last month. Padida was also charged with drunk driving, obstruction of justice, reckless driving and possession of a dangerous drug for self-consumption.

An indictment has been filed against Yonatan Padida // Photo: Shmuel Buharis

According to the indictment, filed by Adv. Shimon Levy of the Central District Attorney's Office, before December 16, 19, the defendant made changes to the vehicle he owned in order to increase the engine power. During about two years before the accident, the defendant drove at excessive speeds. The rest was a high-speed vehicle detour endangering road users despite the vigorous movement of cyclists and trainees running at its edges.

The indictment further states that on December 16, 19 at 6:00, the defendant drove his vehicle from his home toward his place of work when he was under the influence of a hemp-type drug and with a high-concentration active ingredient in his body and held a 8.48-gram hemp in his vehicle.

Around 6:30 a.m., defendant turned left off Route 551 and began his drive on the road.

At that time, they were riding a bicycle along the opposite lane in the direction of the defendant, the late Yaniv Lugassi and Tomer Weinstein, with a guardrail to their right.

The prosecution went on to claim that the defendant moved with his vehicle to the opposite lane, accelerated and bypassed very quickly two vehicles that were in front of him and while making the detour reached the curve.

Being on a curve and while still in the opposite lane, the defendant noticed from a short distance the vehicle coming in front of him.

In response, the defendant, who was driving at least 158.6 km / h, swerved sharply right back to the lane in the direction of travel, lost control of his vehicle, swerved left to the opposite lane, hit the front of the vehicle with the guardrail, spun with his vehicle, hit the rest, and continued. The vehicle was spun until the vehicle stopped in the lane in the direction of travel. As a result of the accident, the deceased were killed on the spot. After the accident, the defendant threw the drug bag from his vehicle.

Cyclists place flowers at the scene of the accident // Photo: Coco

The indictment alleges, among other things, that "the defendant caused the deaths of the deceased in his actions, with ease and while taking an unreasonable risk of causing the deaths of people, hoping to prevent this. In addition, the defendant drove the vehicle easily and quickly in public circumstances." "Drunk driver, possessed a dangerous drug for self-consumption, changed the structure of the vehicle and disrupted legal proceedings."

In the arrest request, Adv. Shimon Levy wrote: "The circumstances of the offense indicate the danger of the respondent - the respondent caused the deaths of Yaniv and Tomer, when he overtook two vehicles, twice the speed limit while ignoring the warning signs and the fact that he was near a dangerous curve. Drugs are dangerous, and although he knew the road conditions well and knew that at the edge there was traffic of runners and cyclists.

"A number of witnesses in the case indicate that this is not the first time that the respondent has been driving wildly on this road, and time and time again in the early morning hours he drove dangerously."

The prosecution is demanding an extension of his detention until the end of the legal proceedings.