Brimob Vehicle Crushed by Train at Unguarded Crossing in Bantul
A Brimob (Mobile Brigade) police vehicle was severely damaged after being struck by a train at a railway crossing in Tapen, Argosari, Sedayu, Bantul, on Thursday morning. The two officers inside survived the incident. Police stated that the level crossing did not yet have an automatic barrier.
The accident occurred at 8:30 AM, involving a train and a Brimob vehicle at the Tapen crossing. “There were no fatalities, only damage to the front of the car,” said Arif Fatimah, the Jogoboyo for Kalurahan Argosari.
Arif explained that the vehicle was near a bend, and the guard post for the crossing barrier was not yet operational. “It was about to cross and was struck by the train. Because of its position on the bend, the driver was not concentrating. He had already moved forward, and reversing would have been too close to the oncoming train,” he said.
Police confirmed the official vehicle was sideswiped by an airport train travelling from the north. The vehicle, an Isuzu with registration number 17416-XX IV, was driven by Bripka Yudi Saputro, 39, with passenger Bripda Tommy Priambada, 31.
Bantul Police spokesperson Iptu Rita Hidayanto said the vehicle was attempting to cross from the south. Upon arriving at the location, the driver allegedly failed to observe the situation on the tracks and did not notice the airport train, driven by engineer Asrul, approaching from the north. “Because the distance was already close, the train sideswiped the front bonnet of the car,” she said.
Police suspect the accident occurred because the automatic barrier system at the level crossing was not yet functioning. Rita revealed that the railway crossing in Tapen hamlet was not yet equipped with an automatic barrier system and had no guard on duty. Although a crossing post building has been erected at the site, the safety facilities were only scheduled to officially begin operation next month. “The crossing barrier at the location is not yet automatic and there is no guard, even though a post has been built. The facilities are planned to start operating in August 2026,” she said.
Police also assessed that the driver’s lack of vigilance when crossing the tracks was the primary cause of the incident. The front of the vehicle was damaged as a result of being struck by the train. Rita confirmed that both the driver and passenger survived. The Jogoboyo for Kalurahan Argosari, Arif Fatimah, stated that the crossing barrier was not yet operational as it was still being finalised, with the automatic barrier scheduled to be activated on 1 August.