Driver explains why truck carrying heavy equipment got stuck under Tendean footbridge

Jakarta - The driver of a truck carrying heavy equipment, Andre (28), has revealed the cause of his vehicle becoming stuck under the Pedestrian Bridge (JPO) on Jalan Kapten Tendean heading towards Blok M, Mampang Prapatan, South Jakarta, in the early hours of Tuesday at 1.00 a.m. Western Indonesian Time. “We were about two kilometres away. We were focused on looking at the map,” Andre told reporters at the scene on Tuesday. He denied feeling drowsy while driving, noting that he was accompanied by a colleague named Fajar (25). According to him, the accident occurred as he and his colleague were trying to find their destination using a navigation app. Andre, who had set off at midnight, said it was his first time travelling that route. “This is the first time I’ve passed through here. I didn’t know the road,” he said. The truck was transporting heavy equipment from the Summarecon Bogor area to the Attorney General’s Office in South Jakarta. He is accustomed to driving trucks carrying heavy equipment, but this particular load had different dimensions compared to his usual jobs. Andre also admitted he did not realise that his vehicle would be unable to pass under the footbridge. According to him, there were no height restriction barriers on the road section before the incident site, which usually serve as a warning for truck drivers. “There was no barrier ahead. There should have been,” he said. Despite causing severe damage to the bridge, there were no fatalities or injuries in the incident, including to himself and his colleague. The incident caused heavy damage to the footbridge structure. The stairs were seen separated from the bridge body, while one of the support legs was lifted due to the impact from the truck carrying a crane that passed underneath.