Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – Four people were killed and 19 others injured after a bus collided with a pickup truck on the Kualanamu – Tebing Tinggi Toll Road in Serdang Bedagai regency, North Sumatra, on Monday morning.
Serdang Bedagai Police Traffic Unit Head Adj. Comr. Gokma Silitonga said the fatal crash, which occurred at around 5:30 a.m., began when a pickup truck carrying chickens was involved in a single-vehicle accident.
"The pickup truck was traveling from Tebing Tinggi to Medan when it struck a road divider and overturned, leaving the vehicle lying across the middle of the toll road," Gokma told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
Moments later, a Halmahera bus traveling in the same direction crashed into the overturned pickup truck.
Gokma said the bus swerved to the left after the collision, causing the bus to veer off the road and slam into a guardrail. The bus then overturned outside the toll road, coming to rest on its right side with its two right wheels facing upward.
The pickup truck was thrown several meters forward by the impact and came to a stop across the road with its two left wheels facing upward.
He said four bus passengers were killed at the scene, while 19 others suffered injuries. The injured victims were taken to several hospitals across Serdang Bedagai for treatment.
Police have also secured the two vehicles involved in the crash for further investigation.
"Police are still conducting a crime scene investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident," Gokma said.
North Sumatra Police Highway Patrol Unit head Sr. Adj. Comr. Dhery Fajariandono said police were still searching for the bus and pickup truck drivers, both of whom were suspected of fleeing the scene following the crash.
"Police are still searching for both drivers, who are suspected of fleeing after the collision," he said.
The Monday accident came about a week after an earlier fatal crash on the same toll road on May 2, when an ambulance carrying a corpse struck the rear of a truck. That incident killed two funeral escorts and injured three others.
Just days later, another major accident occurred on May 6, when a passenger bus collided with a fuel tanker on the Trans-Sumatra Highway in North Musi Rawas regency, South Sumatra, killing 16 people.
Of the victims, 14 were on board the Antar Lintas Sumatera (ALS) bus, including the driver, while the remaining two were the tanker driver and his assistant.
Preliminary investigations suggest the bus driver may have swerved into the opposite lane while attempting to avoid a pothole, placing the vehicle directly in the path of the oncoming tanker. The collision triggered a massive explosion, engulfing both vehicles in flames.
The series of accidents has intensified calls for policymakers to conduct a comprehensive review of national transport safety standards.
Lawmakers are urging the government and relevant stakeholders to launch a thorough investigation into the root causes of the crashes, including vehicle roadworthiness, road conditions, and operators' standard operating procedures.
They also emphasized the need to examine oversight of drivers, particularly compliance with working-hour limits and broader labor conditions that may affect road safety. (nal)