Police to Examine Green SM Taxi Driver and Train Engineer

Police will examine the Green SM taxi driver and the train engineer in connection with the fatal accident between the Argo Bromo Anggrek train and a KRL at Bekasi Timur Station. The Head of Public Relations for Metro Jaya Police, Commissioner Budi Hermanto, stated that the examinations are intended to clarify the sequence of events and determine responsibility in the case. “Examinations of the online taxi driver and the train engineer are also scheduled to clarify the chronology and responsibility in the incident,” he told reporters on Wednesday (29/4). Budi added that the investigation into the causes of the fatal accident is being conducted by the police in coordination with KAI and the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT). “(Regarding the factors causing the accident) it is under investigation, in coordination with KAI and KNKT,” he explained. On the other hand, Budi said that one aspect being delved into includes whether there was any suspicion of human error or communication system disruptions in the railway operations during the incident. “Whether this is related to human error or system constraints. Everything will be traced through witness examinations, evidence, and crime scene processing results,” he clarified. Based on an official statement from the Ministry of Transportation, the incident began when a KRL train on the Bekasi-Cikarang route was obstructed by a vehicle at the JPL 85 level crossing. As a result of the incident, the KRL trainset had to be evacuated and designated as an Extraordinary Journey (PLB) with code 5181 because it stopped and operated outside the regular schedule. As an impact of the event, officers stopped another KRL trainset with code PLB 5568 heading to Cikarang at the Bekasi Timur Station platform. However, the Argo Bromo Anggrek train (Train 4) on the Jakarta-Surabaya route did not manage to stop fully, thus becoming involved in the incident with the stationary PLB 5568 train. As a result of the incident, 16 KRL passengers died. Meanwhile, 90 other passengers were injured and are receiving medical treatment.