Reckless driver kills two people

JAKARTA (JP): Two people were killed and 15 others were injured when a speeding Kijang van smashed into a group of people standing in front of Pasar Minggu railway station in South Jakarta late on Friday.

Staff at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital identified the fatalities as Mardak, 37, of Pancoran Mas in Depok and Agus Budiarto, 20, of Kebagusan Kecil in South Jakarta.

The injured people were street vendors and bystanders.

Eyewitnesses said the accident took place at around 10 p.m. when the van, which was driving at high speed, went out of control and careered onto the pavement.

"It (the van) hit two men who were about to cross the street and then ran over some vendors and bystanders as it traveled along the street before coming to a halt after crashing into a set of traffic lights," a witness told the media in the early hours of Saturday.

The driver was named as Sya'awil Effendi, 35. He claimed he was rushing to reach PT Trebor's factory in Pejaten, where he was due to pick up employees of the candy manufacturing company.

Sya'awil, who lives in Tanjung Barat, Lenteng Agung, suffered minor injuries to the head and arms and was being treated at Fatmawati Hospital in South Jakarta. (emf)