Avshalom Revivo, 61, from Ashdod, has been identified as the bus driver killed in Wednesday's fatal collision on Highway 91.
According to his employer, Revivo swerved at the last moment to save the lives of approximately 20 soldiers traveling on his bus.
Revivo, a father of three who celebrated his daughter's wedding just two months ago, had worked for the Hamovil Ha'artzi transportation company for the past four years and was regarded as an experienced, dedicated, and responsible driver.
On the day of the accident, Revivo was leading a convoy of three buses transporting soldiers from the Tel Nof Air Force Base toward northern Israel.
According to initial information, while Revivo was traveling along Highway 91, between Mahanaim Junction and Kibbutz Mishmar Hayarden, a truck appeared and crossed from the opposite lane into his path.
Ynet quoted Doron Shokrani, the owner of the transportation company, as stating that Revivo spotted the approaching truck and made a split-second decision. Rather than swerving left, where he might have been able to avoid the collision, he steered the bus to the right.
The company believes that his decision prevented the soldiers aboard the bus from sustaining serious injuries in a direct collision, but left Revivo exposed to the full force of the impact.
Following the collision, Revivo was trapped inside the crushed driver's compartment.
Firefighters and rescue personnel worked for an extended period to extricate him, while Magen David Adom teams attempted to resuscitate him, but were forced to pronounce his death at the scene.
The truck driver, a man approximately 50 years old, was seriously injured and evacuated to a hospital by helicopter. The soldiers aboard the bus sustained minor injuries and were taken to Ziv Medical Center in Tzfat (Safed).
The transportation company noted that Revivo had earned considerable appreciation over the years from the organizations he served, including the Defense Ministry and educational institutions.
Revivo is survived by his wife and three children.
Large crowds attended his funeral in Ashdod, including local residents, fellow drivers, the squadron commander, and the soldiers who had been traveling on the bus at the time of the accident, who came to pay their final respects.