Seven die in Central Java traffic accidents<\/p>\n
Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Purwokerto, Central Java<\/p>\n
At least seven people were killed in two separate accidents over
\nthe weekend in Central Java as the number of travelers slowly
\nincreased ahead of the Idul Fitri holiday.<\/p>\n
Three people were killed and two injured when a pickup
\ncarrying a load of bricks was hit by passenger train Logawa on
\nSunday in Sukoharjo, and four people were killed and several
\nothers injured on Saturday when commercial bus Sahabat was
\ninvolved in a multiple crash in Batang.<\/p>\n
Batang Police chief Edy S. Setjo said the accident occurred as
\nthe speeding bus driver was unable to avoid a motorcycle coming
\nfrom the opposite direction.<\/p>\n
The bus, which was traveling from provincial capital Semarang
\nto Pekalongan, veered to the right but hit the oncoming
\nmotorcycle and another parked on the roadside, killing two
\nmotorcyclists and a pillion passenger instantly.<\/p>\n
The bus then crashed into a tree, rolled and came to a stop.
\nThe replacement driver was also killed.<\/p>\n
Motorcyclists Surono and Amat, pillion passenger Hadi and
\nreplacement driver Murid were pronounced dead at the scene.<\/p>\n
Dozens of bus passengers were also injured and are now being
\ntreated at the Batang Public Hospital.<\/p>\n
The bus driver, who fled from the scene of the accident, is
\nbeing hunted down by local police.<\/p>\n
The Sukoharjo train-pickup collision occurred as the truck was
\ncrossing a railroad.<\/p>\n
Truck driver Alex Suwondo, who was injured, said the railroad
\ncrossing barrier was still up when he arrived at the tracks.<\/p>\n
Railroad gatekeeper Sarwan, however, negated Alex's statement,
\nsaying that the gate was already halfway down as the pickup
\napproached. Instead of stopping, he said, the truck continued
\nacross the tracks as the train was bearing down upon it.<\/p>\n
"The crash was inevitable," he said.<\/p>\n
Shotgun passenger Iskandar also survived the collision, and
\nwas admitted to Surakarta Islamic Hospital along with Alex.<\/p>\n
The pickup's three passengers -- Dasmin, Suwardi and Sukimin
\n-- were killed in the crash. Their bodies were taken to the
\nmorgue at Sebelas Maret University Hospital in Surakarta.<\/p>\n
Sarwan said the Purwokerto-Jember train did not stop its
\njourney after the accident and continued on to Jember, East Java.<\/p>\n
Danang Parikesit, director of the Center for Transportation
\nand Logistics Studies at Gadjah Mada University, said there was a
\ndramatic decline in the safety of land transportation vehicles in
\nthe last five years.<\/p>\n
Train collisions, trucks and train crashes, bus accidents and
\npedestrians hit by cars and motorcycles were all too common, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said the increasing number of accidents were caused by the
\nnegligence and ignorance on the part of the government and
\ntransportation operators as to the importance of passenger
\nsafety.<\/p>\n
Millions of people are expected to travel throughout Java via
\nvarious transportation means ahead of and during the Idul Fitri
\nholiday that falls on Nov. 25, raising fears that traffic
\naccidents will continue to rise.<\/p>\n
Over the past few months, several fatal road accidents have
\noccurred across the country, claiming dozens of lives.<\/p>\n
In early October, more than 50 female high school students
\nwere killed in Situbondo, East Java, after their bus, chartered
\nfor a school trip to Bali, collided head-on with a trailer truck,
\nwas rear-ended by a pickup, then burst into flames.<\/p>\n
Last Friday, at least seven people were killed and three
\nothers injured in a crash involving two buses and a truck in
\nNgawi, East Java.<\/p>",
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