The State Prosecutor's Office on Sunday filed a revised indictment to the Tel Aviv District Court against two men suspected of killing Meital Aharonson in an October 2008 hit-and-run accident on the city's Ibn Gvirol Street.
The revised charge sheet now states that it was Shai Simon who drove the car when it struck Aharonson, after initially arguing it had been Shalom Yemini.
"There is no argument that when the car was abandoned 15 minutes after the accident, Simon was in the driver's seat while Yemini sat in the seat next to him. Since the beginning of the trial, there have been changes regarding the evidence collected in the case and witness accounts," the state explained.
Simon and Yemini had been passengers in a black Toyota Land Cruiser driven by Victor Lavi, 22, of Ramat Gan.
The jeep was pulled over by police as it was leaving the Tel Aviv Port area for an alcohol spot check.
A policewoman asked Lavi to step out of the vehicle. He eventually complied, exiting the jeep with the keys. According to police, the smell of alcohol was on Lavi's breath as well as his passengers'.
As Lavi was talking to the policewoman, the passengers asked for the keys, claiming they wanted to turn on the air conditioning.
Police said Lavi handed the keys to his friends, assaulted the policewoman and attempted to flee on foot, but was captured.
Simon and Yemini then allegedly started the engine and drove off at top speed. Eyewitnesses saw the jeep run a red light, and one saved the vehicle's license plate number on a cellphone.
Eight minutes later, according to police, the jeep struck and killed Aharonson. Her friend, Meli Hameiri- Yazdi, was also hit and is currently hospitalized with serious injuries.
