Truck Driver Named Suspect in Pantura Accident That Killed 12

The Indramayu Police in West Java have named a wing box truck driver, identified only by the initial A, as a suspect in a traffic accident on the Pantura (North Coast Road) that killed 12 people. The accident occurred on Sunday (12/7).

"We have named one suspect, the wing box driver with the initial A. The suspect has now been detained," said Indramayu Police Chief AKBP Mochamad Fajar Gemilang on Friday (17/7). He stated the suspect was named after investigators completed their inquiry together with the West Java Regional Police Traffic Directorate and the National Police Traffic Corps.

The suspect is charged under Article 310, paragraph (4) of Law Number 22 of 2009 on Road Traffic and Transportation for alleged negligence causing death. "The investigation showed the wing box truck driver made no attempt to brake before hitting the vehicle in front of him," Fajar explained.

The accident occurred when a pickup truck carrying a wedding party stopped in the right lane of the Pantura road to make a U-turn. The truck, travelling from Jakarta towards Cirebon, then struck the rear of the pickup. The impact pushed the pickup into the opposite lane, where it was hit by an oncoming flatbed truck. The collision resulted in 12 fatalities.

Following the accident, the Indramayu Police have closed illegal U-turn points along the Pantura line. Of the 220 U-turn points along the route, 79 are legal and 141 are illegal.