Police Investigate Petah Tikva Municipal Vehicle Hitting Teenage Scooter Rider

Police opened an investigation on Saturday after a municipal enforcement vehicle hit a teenage electric-scooter rider overnight in Petah Tikva. Footage of the collision circulated on social media during the morning. The teenager suffered minor injuries and left the location under his own power on another scooter, according to the report of the incident. Police said: “Those involved in the incident are not police officers, and the vehicle involved is not a police patrol car.” The Petah Tikva police station opened the inquiry, which will be handled by the Central District traffic accident investigation unit. The footage was described as showing the scooter rider braking suddenly while the municipal vehicle followed him, before the vehicle struck him and continued moving. The municipality said its security team had arrived in response to public-order disturbances and dangerous behavior. A person familiar with the details said several teenagers riding scooters had provoked the team and that one rider continued riding near the vehicle before braking abruptly. That account was attributed to the person, rather than established as an investigative finding. The municipality disputed that the team had fled, saying the vehicle moved a short distance and stayed in the area while additional municipal teams arrived. It said the circumstances were being examined.