Nine people die in road accidents in West Java

Nine people die in road accidents in West Java

Nana Rukmana and Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Cirebon/Bogor

Nine people were killed in separate accidents in West Java
province on Tuesday and Wednesday as the Idul Fitri holiday draws
nearer.

The latest accident happened on Wednesday evening when a
Toyota Kijang van struck the overpass' crash barrier on the Jl.
Kalipanci toll road, some 10 kilometers west of Cirebon city.

Five people, including the driver, died instantly after the
crash, while four people were badly injured.

The nine people were on their way home for Idul Fitri to
Purbalingga regency, Central Java, from Ogan Komering Ulu regency
in South Sumatra province.

Muhidin, an employee with state toll road operator PT Jasa
Marga, said that the accident was probably due to driver fatigue.

Two out of the five people killed were children, namely, Mevi,
3, and Windi, 5. The four injured people were rushed to hospital
for medical treatment.

Earlier on Tuesday night, four people died and 17 others were
injured when a Toyota pickup truck overturned on Jl. Raya Cibadak
in Sukabumi regency, West Java province. The police said the
accident was due to a brake failure.

The accident happened as the truck was traveling east to
Sukabumi from Bogor. It was carrying 21 people home for the Idul
Fitri holiday.

The driver lost control of the vehicle as it entered a three-
way intersection in Bangkong Reang hamlet in Sukabumi. The truck
overturned, throwing passengers from the vehicle, said Second.
Brig. Dwi of the Cicurug Police. Another truck traveling in the
opposite direction was unable to stop in time and hit some of the
passengers who had been thrown onto the street.

Four of the passengers died at the scene while 17 others,
including the truck's driver, were hospitalized. All of the
passengers were construction workers from Sukabumi regency.