The Lod District Court sentenced Ziad Ghazawi, 31, an illegal resident from Ramallah, to 17 years in prison Tuesday for causing the death of 69-year-old Lyubov Melnik in a fatal crash during a police chase following a car theft.
Ghazawi was convicted of reckless murder after the stolen vehicle he was driving slammed into Melnik’s car at the Shapirim interchange, killing her instantly.
In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a conditional sentence, ordered Ghazawi to pay the victim’s family ₪270,000 in compensation, and revoked his driving license for 10 years.
According to the indictment to which he pleaded guilty, Ghazawi entered Israel illegally in July 2024 with accomplices as part of a car theft ring operating for payment. After spotting a vehicle in Rehovot, they stole it, and Ghazawi began driving it toward Rishon Lezion—despite not having a driver’s license.
During the drive, a police patrol spotted the stolen car and began pursuit. When Ghazawi stopped at a red light, officers approached with drawn guns. He fled. Additional patrol cars joined the chase as Ghazawi drove recklessly at high speed, running red lights and endangering other drivers.
At the Shapirim interchange, he ran a red light at approximately 136 km/h and crashed violently into a car carrying a mother and daughter. The daughter had just picked up her mother, Lyubov Melnik, from the airport. Melnik was killed at the scene. Her daughter was seriously injured.
The court ruled that Ghazawi committed the offenses for financial gain, caused Melnik’s death through reckless indifference while trying to evade arrest, and bore sole responsibility for causing the crash.
The ruling noted that his actions caused severe harm to life, body, and property, describing the incident as a tragic event in which a beloved mother and grandmother was killed before her daughter’s eyes during a family visit from abroad. Prosecutors had requested 20 years in prison; the court ultimately imposed 17 years.
The Central District Prosecutor’s Office said the sentence reflects a strict sentencing policy for vehicular manslaughter cases, especially involving reckless driving, fleeing from police, and indifference to human life. According to prosecutors, the courts have adopted this approach to combat dangerous driving and send a clear message about protecting human life.