Two die after being hit by speeding bus

Two die after being hit by speeding bus

JAKARTA (JP): Two people died after a speeding intercity bus
plowed into their motorbikes on Jl. Margonda Raya in Depok on
Sunday morning.

The two victims, along with three others, had been stopped by
police officers conducting a regular operation as they were
returning home from a party at a relative's house in Depok.

Masduki, 40, one of those stopped by the police, said the five
were traveling on Jl. Margonda when officers from the Depok
Traffic Police pulled them over.

"We were taking out our driver's licenses when I saw a
policeman in front of me gasp," Masduki told The Jakarta Post and
SCTV.

"It happened too fast. The next thing I knew I was lying on
the road after being unconscious for a while," Masduki said from
the emergency room of Bakti Yudha Hospital in Depok.

Masduki, his brother Zainal Samir, 37, and their friend Samsul
Hadi, 40, suffered broken bones. Masduki's other brother, Towi
Kamal, 39, and his friend Sugiarto, 40, died from the injuries
they received in the accident.

Towi was pronounced dead at Bakti Yudha Hospital, while
doctors at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Central Jakarta
were unable to save Sugiarto.

Forty-year-old Amarjit S., who was in a restaurant next to
where the accident occurred, said the scene was horrible.

"I was eating when I heard a loud crash. When I ran out, I saw
four motorcycles severely damaged and five people lying on the
road, bleeding. It was terrible," Amarjit told the Post, adding
that he also saw two buses at the scene.

Amarjit said he assumed one of the buses had crashed into the
motorcycles when he saw the driver of one of the buses attempt to
flee.

"I shouted to the police officer, 'Catch that man, Pak' and
ended up helping the police catch the driver," Amarjit said.

However, the driver of the other bus managed to escape,
Amarjit said, adding there were between 40 and 50 policemen
present at the time.

The detained driver, identified as Hasudungan Manalu, 32,
plied the Jakarta-Bogor route in the bus owned by Indah Murni.

According to a police report, Hasudungan was drunk and racing
the other driver, identified as Samsudi, 35, when the accident
occurred.

"Suddenly Hasudungan hit the brakes, causing Samsudi to pull
his vehicle to the left and hit the motorcycles," the report
said, adding that the bus also hit a Toyota sedan which had been
stopped by the police. (jaw)