The Jakarta Globe, February 09, 2013,
One man was killed and another sustained injuries after the intoxicated driver of a minivan sped against the flow of traffic and struck two motorcycles in Central Jakarta on Saturday morning.
“The driver of the minivan was driving under the influence of alcohol, and right now we are still examining him to see if he also used drugs,” Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said on Saturday.
The driver of the Toyota Avanza minivan, 39-year-old Hotland Toni Mangatas, said he had just left a cafe in Sabang, Central Jakarta, when he lost control of his vehicle and drove the van against the flow of traffic, hitting a motorcycle near Immanuel Church in the Pejambon area of Central Jakarta. Rikwanto said the driver then panicked and tried to flee the scene, but instead hit another motorcycle.
One victim, identified as Roni, died instantly while the other, Yusuf, was injured. Both victims were brought to RSPAD Gatot Subroto Army Hospital.
After the collision with the second victim, Hotland exited the van and headed to a security post in the Hotel Borobudur to seek protection as angry bystanders torched his vehicle.
Saturday’s incident was just the latest case of impaired driving with fatal consequences to make headlines in the capital.
In December, an early morning wreck in South Jakarta left two people dead and five others injured after a minivan collided with a roadside food stall on Jalan Ampera Raya.
The driver of the Nissan Livina minivan, 27-year-old Andika Pradika, was allegedly drunk and fleeing the scene of a previous collision when he lost control of his car and careened into a crowd gathered around the food cart. Andika’s minivan struck several parked motorcycles, the vendor’s cart and seven bystanders before coming to a rest.
Two people were killed in the accident, and two others severely injured. Three others suffered minor injuries.
In perhaps the most high-profile incident, last year 29-year-old Afriyani Susanti was sentenced to 19 years in prison after killing nine people when she drove her Daihatsu Xenia through a crowd of pedestrians in Central Jakarta.
According to police reports, she had taken Ecstasy at Stadium nightclub in West Jakarta and consumed alcohol at a disco in Kemang, South Jakarta, on the night prior to the accident.
Police said she and her three passengers tested positive for methamphetamine.
Indonesia lacks a law prohibiting the operation of a motor vehicle while intoxicated. But under a 2009 traffic law, drivers are required to fully concentrate while behind the wheel.
Hotland was officially named a suspect and detained by police on Saturday.
za 9 feb 2013 - 19:56