Undoubtedly the most gruesome thing to come out of the angkot minivan strike on Wednesday in Tangerang was an angkot driver’s hit-and-run on an unsuspecting GrabBike driver, an incident that was caught in a now viral video.
Tangerang Metro Police yesterday arrested the driver suspected of committing the hit-and-run, identifying him as a “supir tembak” – a local term for unlicensed public transportation drivers who substitute in for licensed drivers in order to maximize the earnings from any given vehicle.
“We’re still looking into whether or not has a driver’s license, as well as questioning the [official] angkot’s driver and its owner,” said Tangerang Metro Police Chief Harry Kurniawan, as quoted by Kompas yesterday.
The suspect, identified as 22-year-old SBH, admitted to the police that he committed the hit-and-run because he was harboring a grudge against drivers of app-based ride-hailing services.
SBH may be charged with attempted murder, which may be punishable by life in prison or the death penalty.
Meanwhile, there are conflicting reports as to the condition of the GrabBike driver. Most media outlets’ latest update on the hit-and-run victim say that he slipped into a coma, whereas Merdeka reported that he passed away in the hospital where he was treated.
