Twelve killed in West Java after pickup truck collides with two trucks
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BANDUNG, Indonesia – At least 12 people were killed and five others were injured after a pickup truck carrying members of a wedding party collided with several vehicles in Indonesia’s Indramayu Regency, West Java, on July 12.
According to the authorities, the crash occurred at around 2pm local time (3pm Singapore time) in Kiajaran Kulon village along the busy Pantura coastal highway.
The vehicle was carrying 17 passengers who were returning after escorting a bride and groom from Cempeh village in Lelea district to Parean village in Kandanghaur district, about 20km away.
Police said the accident began when the pickup truck attempted to make a U-turn through a median opening.
As the driver slowed and steered into the right lane, a wing-box truck travelling behind was unable to brake in time and slammed into the rear of the vehicle.
The impact hurled the pickup across the median and onto the opposite side where it was hit by an oncoming Hino truck.
The two collisions left the pickup mangled at both ends. Several passengers were thrown from the vehicle, while others were trapped inside the wreckage.
Local traffic police chief Undang Syarif Hidayat said three people were pronounced dead at the scene, while nine others died after being taken to nearby hospitals.
“Two more victims died on the night of July 12, bringing the total death toll to 12,” Undang said on July 13, as quoted by Indonesian national newspaper Kompas.
The victims included the pickup truck driver and three children aged three, six and 12. Five survivors remain hospitalised at Bhayangkara Hospital in Losarang and Mitra Plumbon Hospital in Widasari.
Undang said police had secured the three vehicles involved in the crash and questioned witnesses, including the driver of the wing-box truck, as part of an ongoing investigation.
Investigators are examining the pickup driver’s U-turn manoeuvre, the speed of the vehicles, the distance between them and traffic conditions at the time of the collision.
Police also plan to involve the West Java Police’s Traffic Accident Analysis team in reconstructing the crash, he said.
Djoko Setijowarno of the Indonesian Transport Society said the crash on July 12 underscored Indonesia’s longstanding problem of using pickup trucks to transport passengers, particularly during holiday travel, tourism trips and family celebrations, despite clear regulations prohibiting the practice.
He said the recurring incidents also reflect a lack of public awareness about road safety, with both drivers and passengers often underestimating the risks.
“Drivers and passengers tend to believe nothing will happen because the journey is short or because the driver promises to drive slowly,” Djoko said.
Meanwhile, Indramayu Regent Lucky Hakim said the tragedy should serve as a warning for both authorities and road users to place greater emphasis on traffic safety.
He called on the government and the police to conduct a thorough review of the crash and strengthen measures to prevent similar accidents.
In particular, Lucky urged stricter enforcement of regulations prohibiting the use of pickup trucks and other cargo vehicles to transport passengers.
“Regulations governing passenger transport must be enforced consistently and be backed by effective supervision,” he said. THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
