No more viewings for public at car-crash scene

Police will seal off the Gambir car crash crime scene from the public starting Tuesday to avoid traffic jams and to prevent interested spectators disturbing the scene, which would make the investigation more difficult, police have said.

“We will allow people who want to personally visit the crime scene until this evening,” Central Jakarta Traffic Police head Adj. Sr. Comr. Budiyanto told journalists on Monday at the scene as quoted by kompas.com.

Police have put a police cordon around the scene.

The driver of a black Daihatsu Xenia minivan lost control of the vehicle on Sunday and plowed into a group of pedestrians in the Gambir area of Central Jakarta, killing nine people and critically injuring three others.

The driver, 28-year-old Apriyani Susanti, who tested positive for both drugs and alcohol, has been named a suspect in the deadly car crash and is now in police custody.

Police have also named Apriyani and her friends, Adistina Putri, 26, Arisandi, 34, and Deny Mulyana 30, as suspects in a drug abuse case. (mtq)