Toyota Calya Plunges into the Kali Cengkareng Drain, Traffic Briefly Gridlocked

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – A Toyota Calya plunged into the Kali Cengkareng Drain on Jalan Outer Ring Road near the Taman Palem Lestari housing complex in West Jakarta in the early hours of Thursday, 5 March 2026.

AKP Joko Siswanto, the head of the Gakkum unit of the West Jakarta Metropolitan Police Traffic Unit, said the driver identified as MH (24) lost control while driving.

‘True, there has been a traffic accident caused by an out-of-control driver, in which a car plunged into the Kali Cengkareng Drain on Jalan Outer Ring Road, Taman Palem, Cengkareng at 03:00 WIB,’ Joko said in a written statement.

‘So, when losing control, the driver hit a tree and then plunged into the drain as he tried to avoid a motorcycle in front of him. The car then veered to the right, hit the tree, and finally fell into the drain,’ he explained.

Fortunately, there were no fatalities or injuries reported in the incident, and the driver was said to be safe.

‘There were no injuries or deaths. However, the Toyota Calya sustained front-end damage and the front axle appears broken from the impact,’ he added.

The police promptly moved to ease the congestion and recover the vehicle using a Dishub tow crane.

‘Traffic, which had briefly stalled, has gradually cleared and returned to normal,’ Joko said.

Joko confirmed that investigators had conducted an on-site examination, secured the evidence, and transported the driver to the West Jakarta Police Traffic Accident Unit post.