Drunk Driver in Surabaya Sentenced to 8 Months for Fatal Crash

A man who struck and killed a street vendor while driving under the influence of alcohol in Surabaya has been sentenced to eight months in prison. The Surabaya District Court found Kristianto Kurniawan guilty of violating Article 310(4) of Law No. 22 of 2009 on Road Traffic and Transportation.

Presiding Judge Cokia Ana P. Opusunggu stated that the defendant’s negligence, specifically driving while intoxicated and distracted, resulted in the loss of life. Aggravating factors included the fatal consequences of his actions, while mitigating factors were his polite demeanour during the trial, his admission of searching for a fallen mobile phone while driving, and his clean prior record.

The panel of judges also considered that a peace agreement had been reached between the defendant and the victim’s family. Kristianto provided compensation of Rp 75 million to the family of the deceased victim, Abdul Samad (67), and Rp 12 million to a second vendor, Piin, whose food cart was damaged in the incident.

The accident occurred around 2:00 a.m. local time on Jalan HR Muhammad in front of Petra School. Driving a Nissan Evalia under the influence of alcohol, Kristianto lost concentration while reaching for his dropped phone, causing the vehicle to speed up, swerve, and hit the two vendors. Abdul Samad suffered severe injuries and later died in hospital.