Police Question Truck Driver and Assistant After Train Collision at Tangerang Level Crossing
Tangerang City Metropolitan Police are continuing to investigate the cause of a collision between a trailer truck and a Soekarno-Hatta Airport-Jakarta train at the Poris level crossing in Batuceper subdistrict, Tangerang City, on Friday (20 February).
A number of witnesses, including the truck driver and his assistant, are still undergoing questioning at the Traffic Enforcement Unit of the Tangerang City Metropolitan Police.
Tangerang City Metropolitan Police Traffic Division Chief, Superintendent Nopta Histaris Suzan, said his team was still investigating whether the accident was caused by technical factors or human error.
“We are conducting an in-depth examination of the driver, the assistant, witnesses, and the crossing gate operator at the Enforcement Unit,” he said.
Tangerang City Metropolitan Police Chief, Senior Commissioner Raden Jauhari, confirmed that several witnesses were being questioned in connection with the accident.
“The investigation is ongoing. The driver and assistant are being questioned. We will process the case,” Jauhari said.
A 14-second video showing the moment the train struck the truck at the level crossing near Poris Station in Tangerang City on Friday morning had circulated widely on social media.
In the footage, a trailer truck can be seen stopped directly in the middle of the tracks. Shortly afterwards, an airport train approached from the Jakarta direction. Bystanders near the scene could be heard shouting warnings to the truck driver.
However, the train was already too close, making the collision unavoidable. The train struck the side of the truck, pushing it off the tracks. The sound of the heavy impact was clearly audible in the brief video.
The incident occurred at approximately 06.05 local time. The truck is believed to have encountered difficulties whilst crossing and became stuck, unable to move forwards or backwards whilst on the tracks.
Eyewitness Galih said the truck had been stationary in the middle of the crossing for some time before the train arrived.
“The truck stopped on the tracks — it seemed to be stuck. The train came from the Jakarta direction and hit it straight away because it was already too close,” he said at the scene.
As a result of the collision, the front of the train sustained damage and one carriage was reported to have derailed. Airport train and commuter rail services on the line were temporarily disrupted.
A joint team from PT KAI and the police immediately arrived at the scene to carry out the evacuation of the truck and handle the derailed carriages. Track inspections were also conducted to ensure the safety of rail services.
Although the incident caused panic and transport service disruptions, there were no fatalities. Authorities are continuing to investigate the precise cause, including possible negligence and safety concerns at the level crossing.