'I thought I was dead', says injured photo journalist

'I thought I was dead', says injured photo journalist

Injured journalist tells of being runover by police jeep
(not this heading since we already run the story y'day-bsr)

JAKARTA (JP): "I thought I was dead," photojournalist Daniel
Supriyono of Warta Kota daily said on Friday of being knocked
down on Thursday evening.

Seconds after being hit by a red Suzuki Katana police jeep
driven by a policewoman, Daniel said the first thing he thought
of was the Sept. 24 attack by security personnel on student
protesters on Jl. Sudirman, a few meters from the scene of the
accident.

"A few seconds later, my memory went blank," the journalist
told other members of the media at Pertamina Hospital in South
Jakarta.

Daniel was knocked down by the Tourist Police jeep at 6:30
p.m. while trying to help reporter Agus Widjananto of Pro2 FM
radio who suffered a head injury after being hit by a rock.

The accident occurred in front of the Jakarta Hilton
International on Jl. Gatot Subroto, near the People's
Consultative Assembly.

He suffered serious wounds to his left leg and arms.

"I still cannot move my injured leg," Daniel said.

Pictures of Daniel lying in the road with his leg partly
crushed by the front right wheel of the jeep were run in his
daily and another paper on Friday.

His camera and walkie-talkie were secured by another
photojournalist.

Before being admitted to Pertamina Hospital at 10 p.m. on
Thursday, Daniel was treated at a clinic inside the Jakarta
Police Headquarters.

He shared an ironic story of his time at the police clinic.

"A policewoman came to me and offered me a nasi padang
packaged meal. I thanked her and asked her to kindly put the meal
on the table next to my bed.

"But a few minutes later, a male police officer came into my
room, grabbed the package without asking permission and left,"
Daniel said, laughing.

He did not disclose whether he or his company would sue the
police.

Crowd

Daniel and other witnesses have said the police jeep was
speeding to pass through a crowd of student protesters when it
suddenly struck Daniel from behind.

The vehicle was driven by Second Sgt. Ade, accompanied by
Chief Sgt. Ariani.

Both tourist police officers were posted at the Hilton.

Ariani said they were on their way to the nearby Hotel Mulia
Senayan when they came upon the crowd.

"We panicked when we saw the students on the streets armed
with sticks and rocks. Unfortunately, we could not see one single
officer in sight. We were afraid that the students would start
pelting our car with rocks, so Ade stepped on the gas," Ariani
said.

"Before we knew it, a man suddenly was under the jeep."

After the accident, Ade ran away from the scene of the
accident, followed by several police officers who tried to
protect her from the angry students and reporters.

She continued to run and bumped into parked motorcycle under
the Senayan flyover. She fell on the street and injured her leg
badly. Police officers carried Ade to a nearby medical van, which
took her to the same police clinic as Wawan.

Ade continued screaming "I want to go back to the Hilton! Get
me back to the Hilton!" as she was carried to the van.
(asa/bsr/ylt)