Four students killed after truck hits minivan<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra<\/p>\n
A truck collided with a passenger minivan in Deliserdang regency,
\nNorth Sumatra, on Monday, killing at least four senior high
\nschool students, including two females, and injuring eight
\nothers.<\/p>\n
The accident occurred at around 6:30 a.m. on Jl. Pertahanan in
\nthe village of Petumbak II, as the victims traveled to school
\naboard the public transportation vehicle.<\/p>\n
Local residents and police blamed the crash on the
\nrecklessness of several truck drivers traveling at high speed to
\nPetumbak from Deliserdang.<\/p>\n
Amri, an eyewitness, said an unloaded truck, registration
\nnumber B 9646 ET, tried to overtake two other trucks in front and
\nmanaged to do so.<\/p>\n
Seconds later, the same truck was unable to slow down when the
\nill-fated Rajawali minivan, registration number BK 1412 MW,
\nappeared from the opposition direction, heading toward Medan
\nAmplas.<\/p>\n
\"The minivan took avoiding action but the truck directly hit
\nthe right wing of the minivan, which was thrown from the road by
\nthe force of the impact,\" Amri told The Jakarta Post at the
\nscene.<\/p>\n
\"After colliding with the minivan, the truck slammed into a
\nmotorcycle repair service shop belonging to local villager Jansen
\nTarigan. The building was also destroyed,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Police said the truck driver fled the scene shortly after the
\ncollision, and they were still searching for him.<\/p>\n
Amri said three of the four dead students -- Nurmala Haswita,
\nHeri, and Suheri -- were killed instantly at the scene, while the
\nfourth, Sarmila, died after being taken to Santi Petumbak
\nhospital.<\/p>\n
All four were from Petumbak I village.<\/p>\n
At least two of the eight injured students -- Ardiansyah and
\nAgus -- sustained serious injuries to the head. The driver of the
\nminivan, identified as Ucok Rangin, was only lightly wounded in
\nthe accident.<\/p>\n
Police said the injured victims were undergoing medical
\ntreatment at several locations, including Deli Tua, Sembiring,
\nTanjung Morawa and Pirngadi hospitals.<\/p>\n
Traffic unit chief at Patumbak Police M. Purba said his office
\nwas investigating the collision by questioning the minivan
\ndriver.<\/p>\n
The accident had claimed the greatest number of lives this
\nyear in Deliserdang, he said.<\/p>\n
He added that the accident scene was not regarded as one prone
\nto traffic accidents.<\/p>\n
\"The collision occurred due to recklessness on the part of the
\ntruck driver, who collided with the minivan,\" Purba said.<\/p>\n
\"We are looking for the truck driver, who ran away after the
\ncollision,\" he said, adding that the police had secured both the
\nminivan and the truck as evidence.<\/p>\n
On July 27, four elementary school students were killed after
\nbeing knocked down in Sambirejo district, some 30 kilometers from
\nthe North Sumatra capital, Medan.<\/p>\n
The accident occurred when a group of elementary school
\nstudents on their way home were crossing the road in front of
\ntheir school. They were hit by a minivan being driven at high
\nspeed. The victims died instantly.<\/p>\n
Days later, police captured the minivan driver who had run
\naway after the accident.<\/p>",
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