14 killed in toll accidents

BEKASI, West Java (JP): Fourteen people were killed in 144 accidents on the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road last month, the state-owned highway corporation, PT Jasa Marga announced yesterday.

A.D. Pandjaitan, the head of the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road office, said 29 people were hospitalized for serious injuries. Last month's crashes involved 252 vehicles.

He said 76 of the 252 vehicles were trucks, 61 minibuses, 31 sedans, 26 buses and 24 pick-ups trucks. "In 13 accidents the type of vehicle was unidentified because the drivers got away shortly after the crashes," he said.

Human error was the main factor in the accidents, he said. "Twenty-nine accidents happened because the drivers were drowsy," Pandjaitan said.

Pandjaitan records show 53 accidents took place between 12 noon and 6 p.m. "More than 100 accidents took place when the weather was fine," he said.

The 73-kilometer toll road stretches from Cawang in East Jakarta to Cikampek in West Java, most of it is in the Bekasi area. (kod)