Police accelerate evacuation of LPG truck at KM 76 to clear congestion to Merak
Serang — The Banten Regional Police (Polda) mobilised rapidly to evacuate an accident involving a Pertamina LPG gas tanker truck and a grain transport truck at KM 76 on the Tangerang-Merak toll road on Monday. The incident temporarily triggered heavy congestion on the route towards Merak Port.
The head of the Central Traffic Police Unit (PJR) Serang, Kompol Deny Yuda Hermawan, explained that the accident occurred when both vehicles were travelling from Merak towards Jakarta. The grain transport truck in lane one experienced a front-right tyre blowout, causing the driver to lose control and swerve to the right.
Due to the loss of control, the LPG tanker truck travelling in lane two was unable to avoid a collision, striking the grain transport truck. The impact caused both large vehicles to swerve further to the right, crossing lanes and shifting from the Jakarta-bound lane to the Merak-bound lane.
“The final position of both vehicles was in lane two of the Merak-bound direction, which automatically impeded the flow of traffic for homeward-bound travellers,” he stated.
Based on observations at the scene on Monday afternoon, a long queue of vehicles stretched back to KM 72, dominated by logistics fleets and private vehicles.
The Banten Regional Police’s public relations chief, Kombes Pol Maruli Ahiles Hutapea, stated that officers immediately took action to relocate the vehicles.
“The vehicles have been evacuated by officers and shifted to lane two so they no longer obstruct the main traffic flow,” said Maruli.
Personnel from the Banten Regional Police’s traffic directorate were deployed intensively to manage traffic flow and restore normal conditions to the strategic route. Currently, lane one and the road shoulder towards Merak have been reopened to passing traffic after experiencing slow-moving congestion.
The police confirmed that no fatalities resulted from the incident. However, the grain truck driver sustained injuries and was transported to Fatimah Hospital in Serang for further medical treatment.
Police urged road users, particularly homeward-bound travellers, to check their vehicle conditions, especially tyre integrity, before beginning their journeys. Drivers were asked to remain cautious and comply with instructions from officers in the field for mutual safety.