Minister's son injured in car accident

JAKARTA (JP): A sedan plunged into the fountain of the Hotel Indonesia roundabout, killing the driver and injuring three passengers, including a son of a minister, early yesterday morning.

A reliable source at the traffic directorate of the City Police told reporters yesterday the accident took place at approximately 1:15 a.m.

The "Mazda Capella" sedan was reportedly driven by Hairomi, 37, a resident of Jl. Mampang Prapatan XIV, South Jakarta, with the passengers identified as Kiki Dhanutirto, 23, a university student and son of Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto, Yanti, 18, a high school student residing in Jl. Rawa Bambu, Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, and Kaeman, 23, also a university student and residing in Jl. Pasar Baru Timur, Central Jakarta.

"The car does not belong to Kiki," Agus, a guard at the minister's house on Jl. Denpasar Raya in South Jakarta, told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

According to the police source, the accident occurred because the driver lost control of the car. The sedan hit the concrete block encircling the fountain before it plunged into the fountain water.

It is not known where the group had previously been, nor the speed the sedan was traveling at the time of the accident.

Hairomi reportedly died afterwards at the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, while the other passengers were still being treated at the hospital.

Kiki reportedly sustained injuries to his back, Yanti to her face, and Kaeman's left arm is broken.

Mrs. Dhanutirto was not available for comment.

Mujiono, another guard of the minister's house, said his employer was at the hospital to await the operation of his son. (jsk)