Five more testify in Kramatdjati driver trial

Five more testify in Kramatdjati driver trial

BOGOR, West Java (JP): Five more witnesses testified in the
trial of a Kramatdjati driver charged with causing the deaths of
31 people who were incinerated inside the bus he was driving. The
witnesses told the Bogor District Court that the driver was
driving recklessly.

The witnesses were S. Wijono, Kasworo, Suharto, Indah Wahyuni
and Ridwan Silalahi, all policemen at the Jakarta Metropolitan
Police headquarters, who were passengers of three stationary cars
the bus rammed into.

The session took place on Thursday.

According to the indictment, defendant Ag. bin Yacob swallowed
barbiturate pills before driving out of the Kampung Rambutan
terminal in East Jakarta for Bandung when the horrendous accident
took place on the Jagorawi toll road last March 23.

During their testimonies the witnesses stated they were
heading for Puncak, traveling in a convoy of 10 cars divided into
two groups. The first group, a Zebra Daihatsu minivan, Toyota
Cressida sedan and a Toyota softtop, had pulled over onto the
shoulder of the road to fill the radiator of the minivan which
had overheated.

"After filling the radiator, I got inside and was starting
the car when the accident happened," stated Indah Wahyuni, who
was driving the minivan. "I was trapped inside my car until
friends from the next group came to rescue me," she added.

Ridwan, who claims to have witnessed the entire accident, said
though there were no vehicles in front of the bus, it suddenly
swerved to the left of the toll road at high speed before hitting
the rear of the jeep, which hit the sedan which in turn slammed
into the minivan.

"The bus driver was reckless and negligent when he tried to
escape. I caught him, handed him over to one of my friends, also
a policeman, and continued to help my other friends," said
Ridwan, adding that at the time of capture, the driver seemed
dazed.

The defendant denied trying to escape, claiming he was
"checking the car in front of the bus". Other witnesses said that
following the accident, the driver was nowhere to be seen. "I saw
the driver only after he had been handcuffed," stated Indah.

What caused the fire is still a mystery. None of the five
witnesses saw where it came from. "I didn't know where the fire
started from when I saw the bus burst into flames," stated
Wijono. "When the fire began, I did not see it since I was busy
assisting my friends," added Ridwan.

After hearing the testimony, Judge Usman Wahab adjourned the
trial until Monday when the testimony of other witnesses will be
heard. (21/25)