Cipali Toll Accident Kills 5 People, Police Suspect Due To Sleepy Driver

Illustration of vehicle accidents (Unsplash-Jason Rojas)

The West Java Police Traffic Directorate suspects that the fatal accident that occurred involving three vehicles on the Cipali Kilometer 72 Toll Road, Purwakarta Regency, West Java was caused by a sleepy bus driver while driving.

West Java Police Traffic Director Kombes Pol. Dodi Darjanto said the results of the crime scene (TKP) showed that the driver had traveled for approximately three and a half hours without rest.

"The accident is possible because the driver was driving sleepy after traveling about 360 kilometers, for three and a half hours," said Dodi when confirmed in Bandung, Tuesday, by Antara.

Dodi revealed that from the CCTV results, it was seen that the driver failed to anticipate the vehicle that was stopped queuing at the Cipali Toll Gate.

From the calculation at the time of processing the crime scene, the speed of the vehicle during the accident is estimated at 97 kilometers per hour.

Dodi also appealed to the public not to force themselves to drive in a tired or sleepy condition and to be disciplined to rest every two to four hours, especially during the night trip.

"Please obey the provisions. Every two to four hours of driving must rest. This is important for mutual safety," he said.

Previously, the Head of the Purwakarta Police Traffic Unit, AKP Muthia Khansa Nurwajiya, said that the accident on the Cipali KM 72+400 Toll Road in the Purwakarta Regency involved three vehicles that resulted in the death of five people and 38 others injured.

He said that apart from five people who died, 38 people were injured in an accident on the Cipali Toll Road towards Jakarta on Tuesday morning.

The accident involved three vehicles, namely the Agra Mas bus number B 7654 KGA, Sinar Jaya Bus with number B 7895 TGA and a Gran Max minibus with number B 2508 TFT.

The five victims who died consisted of two passengers on the Agra Mas bus and three Gran Max passengers.