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reparations for the 2013 Jogja Air Show — due to be opened on Saturday at Depok Beach in Bantul, Yogyakarta — were suspended for a couple of hours on Friday in remembrance of a senior aviator and patron of the Indonesian Aero Sport Federation (FASI), Her Triyono Karto Wisastro.

Her Triyono, 66, was killed in a traffic accident on his way to Depok Beach for the event’s final rehearsal.

“The agenda today [Friday] is location checking and official rehearsal but we stopped as soon as we heard about the fatal accident to show our respect for this figure,” Jogja Air Show 2013 coordinator Maj. Andi Abadi said on Friday.

He said the organizing committee offered to pick up Her Triyono but he rented a car instead and drove it himself to the air show site.

It is suspected that Her Triyono had a heart attack when driving the car that hit at least four motorcycles along the Jl. Ring Road in Singgosarean, Banguntapan, Bantul, killing himself and one of the motorcycle riders.

“Both died instantly at the scene of the accident,” Bantul Traffic Police chief Adj. Comr. Setyo Heri Purnomo said.

The dead motorcyclist was identified as Sugiono, who rode a Honda motorcycle with a local registration plate. Two other riders, Purwadi and Triyono, sustained serious injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Setyo said the accident occurred at about 7:30 a.m.

“All of a sudden, the car began to swerve. It hit the road divider and entered the fast lane of the traffic going in the opposite direction. It kept on going and again hit the road divider before entering the slow lane and hitting four motorcycles,” he said.

Sugiono and his motorcycle was dragged until some 20 meters long and stopped only after the car, a Toyota Avanza, hit the road divider.

“Because the driver died, the investigation is stopped and the case will be settled in a family settlement,” Setyo said.

Suspicions that the driver suffered a heart attack were roused as no traces of attempted braking were uncovered, the victim’s tongue also showed signs of biting.

“I saw the car was behaving erratically, it cut into the opposite direction lane,” one of the hit motorcyclists, Agil Prasetya, 22, said.

Agil said he did not know what happened next because he was then hit by the car.

“My motorcycle bounced away and then the next thing I knew I was in the fast lane,” said Agil, a student from Jambi.