A 26-year-old female driver has been charged with vehicular manslaughter after she allegedly drove her car and struck a man and his pet dog in the Karawaci district of Tangerang City, Banten on Sunday evening.
The driver, identified by her initials AMY, was reportedly speeding on the street of a housing complex in Lippo Karawaci, when her car hit a 51-year-old man, identified by his initials AN, and his pet dog, who were out on an evening jog.
The victim’s niece, Dearyani Eka Dharma, said that her uncle was jogging with his child and pet dog that evening, and had not been far from their home when AMY almost crashed her car into AN’s child.
“My uncle saw [her car] and immediately pulled his child, [he did so] because she almost hit [the child]. In the end my uncle and his pet dog were the ones hit,” Dearyani told Kompas today.
AN’s wife arrived at the scene of the incident soon after, and became hysterical upon seeing her husband lying lifeless on the ground. Dearyani said AMY assaulted her aunt during that time because the driver did not want to be blamed for his death.
AMY’s assault against AN’s wife was filmed, footage of which have gone viral on social media.
“Her husband died while lying in front of their home, and the suspect didn’t accept [getting scolded], so she hit, pulled my aunt’s hair, dragged her on the road, then she hit, kicked her again and again until people came to break them up,” Dearyani said.
Dearyani said she isn’t certain on the extent of her aunt’s injuries from the assault, adding that the latter is still mourning from her husband’s sudden death.
Tangerang City Police’s Traffic Unit Chief Heri said that based on their investigation, AMY was intoxicated during the incident. After hitting the victims, Heri said AMY continued speeding and eventually crashed into a tree on the side of the road.
“When she crashed [into the victims], she was [intoxicated] after drinking soju, so she didn’t concentrate and didn’t know that there were people in front of her,” Heri told Kompas, adding that AMY was also using her phone at the time.
Prior police statements regarding the incident did not specify that AMY was drunk driving.
AMY, who has been named a suspect, was apprehended by the Tangerang City Police. She is charged with vehicular manslaughter caused by negligent driving, which is punishable by a maximum sentence of six years in prison.
