Train kills two at crossing

JAKARTA (JP): Two university students riding a motorcycle were crushed to death by a train at a level crossing in Palmerah subdistrict, Central Jakarta, yesterday evening.

The man, who eyewitnesses said, was driving the bike recklessly, died on the spot after his body was split into several pieces. His severed head and legs were found several meters away from the abdomen.

The woman, whose legs were particularly badly injured, died on the way to hospital.

Other motorists and passersby who tried to help could not hide the horror from their faces.

The victim's Yamaha RX King motorcycle was only slightly damaged after being dragged by the Express Merak Jaya train almost 500 meters from the spot, which was at a crossing connecting Jl. Gelora, Jl. Gelora 7 and Jl. Gelora 1.

A member of staff at the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital morgue identified the man as Abdulrachman, 23, of Tomang, West Jakarta. The woman has yet to be identified.

Police who took the two bodies to the hospital said earlier that the couple were husband and wife.

Eyewitnesses said that the man, traveling north on Jl. Gelora 7, turned right at the crossing, even though that is prohibited, the barrier was down and a speeding train was due to pass.

"I couldn't believe that the man would dare to go round the barrier because the speeding train was already too close," said Manan, who was driving a motorcycle behind the couple.

"He might have wanted to follow two other motorcycles who had already crossed the railway," he said.

According to Didih, a guard at the level crossing, the Express Merak Jaya heading to Merak passed at 5:15 p.m. as scheduled.

Didih said he closed the barriers several minutes beforehand.

But the couple, he said, ignored the barriers. They also took no notice of warning shouts from other motorists who reminded them about the oncoming train. (04)