Crime reporter dies in traffic accident

JAKARTA (JP): A reporter from the military-owned ABRI whose news beat included the morgue of Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, died in a traffic accident on the Slipi toll road in West Jakarta on Sunday.

Setio Budi Utomo, also known as Uut, who had worked at the daily for about two months, died instantly.

His body was taken to the Central Jakarta hospital morgue, a familiar spot to many city crime reporters.

A West Jakarta police officer said Uut was crossing the toll road to observe a traffic accident when a speeding silver Daihatsu Feroza jeep hit him.

The accident occurred at about 10:30 a.m., the officer said.

"It was not a hit-and-run accident. The Feroza's driver is still being questioned at our precinct office and his car is also there," he said.

The collision which attracted Uut was reportedly only a minor accident with no fatalities.

Uut, who once worked at Antara news agency, always called Yoga from the Warta Kota daily to inform him about traffic accidents.

"Uut told me that he would share the story with me later at the morgue," Yoga recalled.

He said the victim was on his way to the morgue from his rented room in Kemanggisan area, West Jakarta, not far from the scene.

Friends and relatives of the 1998 graduate of the state University of Sebelas Maret in Solo, Central Java, said the young reporter enjoyed his job.

"He was an idealist," said a relative of the victim, R.B. Sugiantoro, at the morgue.

Sugiantoro, who is the deputy general manager of Kompas daily, said Uut initially stayed in his home in Kebun Jeruk, West Jakarta, before moving to his rented room.

He said Uut's father was a former journalist of Berita Buana daily.

Uut's body will be buried in his hometown of Solo.(jun/asa)