One killed in three-vehicle pileup

TANGERANG: One man was killed and six others were injured in a three-vehicle pileup on the Jakarta-Merak toll road in Serpong, Tangerang, at 5 a.m. on Friday.

Truck driver Syamsul Ichwan, 32, who was transporting oranges from Deli Serdang, North Sumatra to Jakarta, died as a result of his injuries on the way to Al-Qadar Hospital in Karawaci. The other six are in hospital receiving treatment.

It took officers three hours to extract Ichwan, a resident of Pondok Rejo village, Deli Serdang, from the truck as he was pinned between the dashboard and the seat. Morning rush hour traffic also delayed transporting him to the hospital.

The accident backed up traffic heading toward Jakarta for five kilometers, prompting PT Jasa Marga, the toll road management company, to close the Bitung toll gate in the direction of Merak until 9 a.m.

The pileup involved three trucks, including the one driven by Syamsul, said M. Nur, a staff member of PT Jasa Marga. --JP