T

he police confirmed on Friday that they had arrested two men for beating a taxi driver to death, reportedly because the driver had bumped into their motorcycle while driving.

“The two men have been charged with fatal assault, as stipulated in Article 351 of the Criminal Code. They may have to face up to seven years’ imprisonment,” police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto told reporters on Friday.

The incident took place on Jl. Tambak II in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Thursday evening at around 6:30 p.m.

Witness accounts stated that the suspects, identified as T, 21, and AK, 23, had been pursuing the taxi driver, 45-year-old SP, on their motorcycle all the way from Jembatan Merah in Tebet, South Jakarta, when they finally caught up with him. They then began to beat him with a log of wood until he fell unconscious on the road.

People in the area who witnessed the beatings became angry toward the suspects. “People in the area began to gang up on the two suspects and started to beat them. But they were saved by the local neighborhood unit chief,” said Nico, one of the witnesses.

Officers from the Menteng police precinct arrived at the scene shortly afterward and arrested the two suspects. The motorbike and the log used to attack SP were also confiscated.

SP was immediately rushed to Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital in a critical condition. He received treatment at the hospital but did not survive due to reportedly severe bleeding from his head.

In light of this incident, Rikwanto suggested that all road users in Jakarta to stay calm while on the streets.

“We all know that traffic conditions in Jakarta can get quite nasty. If you really want to get emotional, you can get into a fight every single day. That is why I really urge all road users to keep a cool head,” he said.

“Restrain your emotions. Be patient. Don’t let a little incident spirals out of control.”