Two die in Bogor van crash

Two die in Bogor van crash

JAKARTA (JP): A Bogor inner-city minivan driver and a
passenger died when their vehicle rolled into a 15-meter-deep
ravine in Buntar River near Jl. Raya Tajur on Thursday night.

Two other passengers were seriously injured and remain in
Ciawi General Hospital, Antara reported yesterday.

Police -- who found pills containing the barbiturate nipam in
the car -- believe that the driver of the Angkot (public minivan)
may have been drunk.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the minivan
driver lost control of the vehicle after trying to take a left
turn on the dimly lit road about 8:30 p.m. The car careered off
the road, which was lined with bushes instead of a barrier.

The driver was Dwi Kelana Pambudi, 31, of Muara Sari village
in South Bogor and the passenger killed in the crash was M.
Khotib, 47, of Cihiuleut in Baranangsiang subdistrict in East
Bogor.

Police have not released the identities of the two injured
passengers.

The car, bearing license plate number F 1932 AF and plying the
Merdeka-Sukasari route, was badly damaged. The vehicle's roof is
now almost level with the floor.

The accident went unnoticed until some security guards of PT
Paradisa, a private firm located nearby, went to investigate the
noise.

They initially searched the company's grounds without success
and some guards decided to take a look outside.

After crossing a bridge, they heard people screaming for help
from the ravine.

Using torches, the security guards made their way down to the
car, which had nosedived into 50 centimeters of water.

According to the guards, the driver and the dead passenger
were found in the front seats.

Police said they needed to collect more information from the
injured passengers before making a final announcement about the
cause of the accident. (bsr)