The Surakarta Police have named a 40-year-old businessman a suspect for allegedly killing a motorcyclist after deliberately hitting him with his car in a road rage case.

Surakarta Police detective unit chief Comr. Fadli said the investigators alleged that the suspect, identified as Iwan Adranacus, had deliberately hit Eko Prasetyo, 28, on Jl. KS Tubun in Surakarta on Wednesday, after an argument at a traffic light. 

The victim reportedly stopped his motorbike in front of the Mercedes Benz Iwan was driving at the red light, around 3 kilometers from the scene.

“Iwan repeatedly honked, urging Eko to give way, but the victim did not move. One of the passengers [of the car] got out and hit the victim,” Fadli said on Thursday.

When the light turned green, Iwan chased Eko until Iwan’s car hit Eko’s motorbike.

“We are digging deeper into the case. If we find evidence of intention, we may charge the suspect with murder,” he said.

An eyewitness, Sigit Parmanto, 33, told The Jakarta Post that the victim had slowed down near the Surakarta Police headquarters. However, the car maintained its speed despite onlookers shouting to slow down, so it eventually hit the motorbike. 

Another eyewitness, Valencia Melani, 26, echoed Sigit’s statement, saying the car driver had continued to drive even after hitting the motorcyclist, dragging the victim 15 meters, before bouncing off the motorbike.

“Police and residents aimed to help the victim, but he had passed away on the scene,” she said. (sau/swd)

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