Still no solace for family of killed Maccabi Tel Aviv athlete
By RUTH EGLASHcar accident 88(photo credit: )
It's been nearly three months since the fatal traffic accident that left Yevgenia Vexler and her six-year-old son Arthur dead, yet family and friends of the Maccabi Tel Aviv athlete are still wondering why there has been no progress in prosecuting the person responsible.
"The case has not progressed at all," Levy Sapkin, manager of the Maccabi Tel Aviv athletic club, told The Jerusalem Post Wednesday. "It seems as though the police are hiding information from the family."
Vexler, 23, and Arthur were killed on April 11 while they waited for the traffic lights to change at the intersection of Einstein Street and Namir Road in north Tel Aviv. An SUV, driven by well-known attorney Avigdor "Dori" Klagsbald, slammed into their car, killing the two almost instantly. Klagsbald, who has in the past represented former prime minister Ariel Sharon and Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz in court, sustained only minor injuries.
Initial reports of the accident indicated that Klagsbald - who had just returned from a business lunch where he'd enjoyed some wine - had been using his mobile phone.
"Klagsbald did try to contact the family at a later stage but they could not bring themselves to talk to him," said Sapkin, who is also vice president of the Israeli Athletic Association.
He continued, "Something here stinks. Klagsbald is already back at work. He has returned to his regular life. He needs to take some responsibility for what happened. In the US he would be sitting in jail until the court case, but here nothing is being done."
Earlier this month, Zari Hazan, the Vexler family's lawyer, sent a letter to Tel Aviv District prosecutor Eli Schwartz asking that the family be given more details about the investigation.
Hazan's letter specifically asked for answers as to Klagsbald's blood alcohol content and the speed he was traveling at the time of the crash. Hazan also outlined the anguish of the family, saying that Yevgenia's husband and father of Arthur, Vladislav Vexler and his parents, who were very close to Yevgenia, were still totally distraught.
"Little Arthur's grandparents are going through a particularly difficult time mentally..." he wrote to the prosecutor. "The grandmother does not stop crying every hour of every day."
"The father is even more distraught, he is totally broken. It is impossible to talk to him about this double loss," said the letter.
A spokesman for the Tel Aviv District police told the Post that the case was still under investigation in cooperation with the Tel Aviv District Prosecutor's Office.
"We are very concerned about this case," commented Zelda Harris, spokeswoman for road safety organization Metuna. "Anyone who kills someone should be prosecuted immediately. People have to pay back to society if they do something wrong."
"Because this man is well known," she continued, "the courts should use him to set an example of such crimes. It could help to change the laws or improve safety on the roads."
Sapkin said that the athletic club where Vexler trained until her death had already set up a memorial corner in her honor and had renamed the children's club as a tribute to her.
Klagsbald's office, which was approached by The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday, declined to comment for this article.
