Six killed in bus crash

Six killed in bus crash

JAKARTA (JP): Six people were killed, 26 seriously injured,
and 20 slightly injured, in a crash between two intercity buses
on the Cikampek-Jakarta toll road on Sunday.

The fatalities included five passengers and the driver of the
Sinar Jaya bus, which was heading from Purwokerto, Central Java,
for Pulogadung, Jakarta.

Bekasi Police Chief Lt. Col. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo said that
the Sinar Jaya bus was hit in the back by a Jawa Baru bus
plying the Bima (West Nusa Tenggara)-Surabaya-Jakarta.

The six bodies were taken to Bekasi General Hospital soon
after the accident, while the 46 injured were taken to UKI
hospital in Cawang, East Jakarta.

Sri Subandini, the nurse on duty in UKI's emergency unit, told
The Jakarta Post yesterday that 15 of the injured had already
left the hospital.

Eyewitnesses said the accident occurred because Ruslin, the
driver of the speeding Jawa Baru bus, got drowsy. The bus hit
the Sinar Jaya bus from behind, causing the Sinar Jaya bus to
jump and overturn into a ditch.

Passengers on the Jawa Baru bus were quoted by the Berita
Yudha daily as saying that the bus driver had been driving
recklessly since the bus got on the Cikampek-Jakarta toll road.
"The driver ignored the passengers' warning," one passenger said.

"I admit that I was wrong and I will take responsibility,"
said Rusli. He turned himself in to the police together with
Asep, the bus conductor. (26)