An Israeli military career soldier was killed in a road accident on Highway 6 after stopping to help two fellow soldiers whose vehicle had broken down. Master Sgt. Alexander Bondaryov, 31, exited his car to assist them when a passing vehicle struck his military car, causing it to hit him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Bondaryov, from Afula, was on his way north for an operational mission in Lebanon at the time. He had served for about a decade in a classified unit and was expected to complete his service in the coming days, with plans to join the police.

Born in Kyrgyzstan, he immigrated to Israel as a toddler and is survived by his wife and two young children. His wife said he insisted on helping the stranded soldiers despite being told they could manage, adding that 'he paid with his life to save them.' He was laid to rest at the military cemetery in Afula.