Two officers fall victim to hit-and-run accident

JAKARTA (JP): Two police sergeants were severely injured in a hit-and-run traffic accident on Wednesday when they were safeguarding a student street rally on Cawang interchange in East Jakarta, an officer said on Thursday.

Maj. I. Nyoman Suryasta of the city police information unit identified the victims as 32-year-old Chief Sgt. Hermawan and 35- year-old First Sgt. Sri Harsono, both from the traffic police unit.

"The two were riding on a motorbike and were about to leave the demonstration site after protesting students from the Indonesian Christian University (UKI) returned to the nearby campus," Suryasta said.

As the two sergeants were passing along Jl. Let. Jen. Soetoyo, near the campus on their way to the city police headquarters, a gray Espass van suddenly hit them from behind, Suryasta said.

He said none of the onlookers and motorists on the busy street helped the two unlucky policemen immediately after they fell from their motorbike. He alleged that the van driver kept driving wildly to hit the motorbike.

"The incident took place at around 1 p.m. and there were a lot of people at the site, but how come no one wanted to help them right away?" he asked.

Suryasta said the two sergeants got assistance only after the van went away at high speed.

"They are now being treated at the intensive care unit of the Soekanto police hospital in Kramat Jati in East Jakarta," he said.

Besides suffering head injuries, Hermawan's left foot was reportedly broken, while Sri Harsono suffered from severe wounds to his chest and feet.

Police are still searching for the driver of the car and have invited any of the public who witnessed the incident to report to city police, he said.

The Wednesday's incident raised the number of soldiers and police officers severely wounded while on duty safeguarding the Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly to 22, all of whom are now in various hospitals while 20 others have suffered light injuries.

Out of the injured police officers, eight were identified as Second Lt. Sonny Sanjaya who was injured in the temple; Second Lt. Kamarulzaman on his arm; Pvt. Didik Hermanto on his chin (all from the Police Bomb Squad); First Sgt. Erizal, Pvt. Hartanto and Chief Sgt. Sarimin from the Police Mobile Brigade.

As was reported earlier, a member of the Jakarta Police Mobile Brigade died during a clash between demonstrating students and security officers in Slipi in West Jakarta on Nov. 12. The dead officer was identified as Pvt. Prayitno. (emf)