The driver at the helm of the fatal crash that killed celebrity Vanessa Angel and her husband, Febri “Bibi” Andriansyah, has been charged with negligence, police have confirmed.
The driver, identified as Tubagus Joddy, is one of three survivors of the single-vehicle accident, alongside the couple’s toddler son Gala and his caretaker Siska. Joddy, who’s 24 years old, reportedly worked as Vanessa’s assistant in the last two years, though he has also dabbled as a photographer for other celebrities.
Joddy previously entered the police’s list of possible suspects after a screen recording of his Instagram story, presumably taken before the accident, went viral.
Vanessa and Bibi died on site following the crash, which took place on the Jombang section of Nganjuk-Surabaya highway in East Java on Thursday last week. The white Pajero SUV driven by Joddy hit a concrete divider on the left side of the toll road, before it bounced off and spun around, and then coming to a stop. Authorities initially said the driver lost control of the vehicle because he was drowsy.
Joddy has now been charged with negligent driving under Indonesia’s Traffic and Road Transport Law, which carries a maximum sentence of 6 years in prison and/or a maximum fine of IDR12 million (US$840).
Doddy Sudrajat, Vanessa’s father, says their family will not make any personal demands against Joddy, as they have completely handed over the case to the authorities.
Vanessa’s former attorney and friend of the couple, Milano Lubis, expressed hope that Joddy will receive a fitting punishment for his alleged crime, though he is of the opinion that charging the suspect with negligence isn’t apt.
“I said from the beginning that I don’t agree with the negligence [charge]. Because with him filming that video, that’s an element of intent.” Milano said.
“We will oversee [the legal proceedings] because we want the driver to be prosecuted with the highest charges. We will find anything that can be included in the indictment.”
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