Youngsters putting themselves in danger for content may be as old as social media itself but a new and particularly extreme example of that trend in Indonesia is proving to be fatal.
On Thursday in Bandung, West Java, a video circulated showing two teenage boys jumping in front of a fast-moving truck in an apparent attempt to halt the heavy vehicle. While one of the boys jumped out of the way in time, another, a 14-year-old, collided head-on with the truck.
Police say the impact fractured his skull and shattered his teeth. The boy is still in hospital for his severe injuries as of this article’s publication.
Meanwhile, police are looking for the truck driver, who has gone AWOL presumably out of fear of criminal charges. Ironically, he could have avoided prosecution had he complied with the police investigation into the incident, but instead may now face hit-and-run charges.
The next day, over in Tangerang, Banten, three teenage boys jumped in front of a moving truck. Two of them jumped out of the way, but one, an 18-year-old, was killed on the spot when he collided with the truck and rolled under the vehicle.
The truck driver in this incident has been detained for questioning.
The truck “challenge,” so to speak, is not exactly a new social media trend, particularly at the two locations. Police say locals have been trying to stop the teenagers from senselessly risking their lives, but their pleas have mostly fallen on deaf ears.
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