Police Have Named Suspect in Bekasi Timur Train Collision Case

Police have named a suspect in the Bekasi Timur train collision incident, which involved a passenger KRL and a taxi at a level crossing near Bekasi Timur Station in April.

‘There is a suspect,’ Kasubditlaka Ditgakkum Korlantas Polri Kombes Mariochristy P.S. Siregar said after a meeting with Commission V at the Parliament complex in Jakarta on Thursday, 21 May. However, he declined to identify the suspect. He said the suspect is charged under Article 310 Paragraph 1 of the Indonesian Traffic and Road Transport Act. Mario also said evidence in the case has been seized, namely the taxi involved in the collision with the KRL. ‘The evidence is the taxi; there is a suspect. The police will prosecute this case. The investigation has concluded; now it’s just a matter of when the case will go to trial,’ he said.

Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi previously explained the chronology of the incident between the electric train (KRL) and Argo Bromo Anggrek at Bekasi Timur Station, on Monday 27 April.

It began with KA Commuter Line 5568A (Jakarta-Cikarang) arriving at 20:34 WIB, one minute earlier than scheduled. Then Kerata 116B Sawunggalih arrived in Bekasi at 20:35, five minutes late. Sawunggalih halted at Bekasi Station to board passengers.

‘Sawunggalih departed Bekasi at 20:37. It passed Bekasi Timur Station at 20:39. A taxi stalled on the track,’ Dudy said.

At that time, KA 5181B (Cikarang-Jakarta) travelled at 20:48 and collided with the taxi. The incident drew a crowd of residents who witnessed the near-miss.

‘There was a crowd, with residents seeing the location of the accident or the near-miss,’ he added.

KA 5568A Jakarta-Cikarang, already eight minutes late, continued and departed at 20:45 WIB. Then at 20:49 WIB, KA 5568A arrived at Bekasi Timur. The KRL was nine minutes late.

‘The train had departed but stopped due to the crowd gathered at the front to observe the near-miss,’ said Dudy.

Argo Bromo then traversed Bekasi Station at 20:51, three minutes ahead of schedule, at a speed of 108 km/h. The collision with KA 5568A occurred at 20:52 WIB.

‘Subsequently, the Ministry of Transport respects the ongoing investigation by the National Transport Safety Committee (KNKT) and supports its implementation independently, professionally and transparently,’ said Dudy.