Train kills two at crossing

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)