Two named suspects in train crash
Two named suspects in train crash
Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor
The Bogor Police named on Sunday a train driver and a passenger
as suspects in the commuter train collision on Saturday along the
Jakarta-Bogor route, in which two commuters were severely injured
and at least 44 others suffered minor injuries.
The police identified the suspects as Edi Siswanto, 41, the
driver of train No. 490, and Darwin, 38, a passenger on train No.
488. Train No. 490 crashed into the back of train No. 488. The
two are being held at Bogor Police Headquarters pending further
investigation.
Police said the two were named suspects based on three
eyewitness accounts from driver of train No. 488 Cecep Suherman,
conductor of train No. 488 Sutromo and conductor of train No. 49
Tris Sutrisno.
The witnesses said they suspected that Darwin, a resident of
Tajur Halang subdistrict, Cijeruk, Bogor, pulled the emergency
break while train No. 488 was passing through Kebon Anggrek Lebak
subdistrict, known also as Kampung Gablok.
A few minutes later, at about 12:40 p.m., train No. 490 driven
by Edi Siswanto slammed into the rear end of the stopped train,
lifting the rear car five meters from the force of the impact.
Darwin admitted to police that he had not intended to pull the
emergency break and that he was shocked by his own action.
Administration head Sudibyo at state railway operator PT KAI's
Greater Jakarta branch said his office would punish Edi Siswanto
in accordance with their regulations.
"We will hand down severe punishment, such as dismissing him
from the office or demoting him," he said.
As of Sunday afternoon, three of the 44 victims were still
being treated at the Indonesian Red Cross Hospital in Bogor,
while two others were being treated at Karya Bhakti Hospital and
another was still hospitalized at Salak Hospital.
A staffer at the claims division of PT Jasa Raharja life
insurance, Nu'man, who was on duty at the Red Cross hospital,
said the insurance company would disburse a maximum of Rp 5
million (US$588.24) to each of the victims.
"All expenses for medication, doctors and hospital treatment
will be paid by the insurance company, unless the figure exceeds
Rp 5 million," he said.
Harmoni, 25, a resident of the Depok-Pancoran district,
commented on the city's train services from her room at Salak
Hospital.
"I have had enough bad experiences with trains. Last month,
the electric cable of a commuter train was severed, which caused
congestion in the Cilebut area of Bogor. There's no comfort or
safety on trains anymore," she said.