Tel Aviv: Black X6 BWM vehicle speeds into junction, fatally colliding into twenty five-year-old Lee Zeitouni, flinging her dozens of meters in the air. Driver escapes scene, flees country. After extensive manhunt, police locates vehicle owner in Paris. Authorities working to issue arrest warrant with Interpol

Published: 09.17.11

A young woman was killed in a hit-and-run accident in central Tel Aviv on Friday. The driver, who escaped the scene, fled the country immediately after the accident, and was located in Paris a day later by the police.
Twenty-five year old Lee Zeitouni was on her way to a sports club where she taught Pilates classes, when a Black X6 BWM jeep sped into the junction, forcefully crashing into Zeitouni and flinging her dozens of meters in the air.
Zeitouni, who suffered multiple internal injuries, was pronounced dead on the scene.

The police launched a vigorous hunt for the driver, and managed to locate the vehicle hours later at a parking lot of a residential building in Tel Aviv. It is reportedly registered to Eric Roubi, 37, a French businessman who frequently spends time in Israel

Neighbors told the police that they saw the suspect, who moved to Israel from France only months earlier, leave the apartment in a rush, along with suitcases.

After intense investigation, the police managed to contact the owner of the vehicle in Paris, who promised to return to Israel. Meanwhile, the police and the prosecutor's office were cooperating with the Interpol in order to issue an arrest warrant against the vehicle owner and his friend, who is suspected of driving the vehicle at the time of the accident.

After speaking with traffic police and examining other evidence, detectives say they determined that Roubi and his friend Isaac had been drinking in Tel Aviv , leaving a bar there at around 6 A.M. Friday. They say Isaac had been driving Roubi's car when it hit and killed Zeitouni, and that the men decided to flee Israel immediately after the accident.

Driver calls police from Paris, says he plans to report for questioning; police ask Interpol for assistance with extradition.

According to Israel Police officials, the alleged driver promised detectives during a phone call from Paris that he would report for questioning. Interpol has been asked to help with extradition proceedings. However, because Israel and France do not have an extradition treaty, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to bring the two suspects to Israel for trial unless they agree to return voluntarily.




http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4123420,00.html

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/driver-in-fatal-hit-and-run-suspected-of-fleeing-israel-to-france-1.385068