Police chief kills toddler and grandmother in crash, allegedly while drunk driving

A chief of a police sub-precinct in Rembang, Central Java is under investigation for a car crash that killed a toddler and her grandmother, with witnesses of the incident saying that the cop seemed to be driving under the influence of alcohol at the time.

The suspect, a police inspector 1st class (Iptu) identified by his initial S, reportedly drove his car into a house on Monday at 7pm. The collision destroyed an entire section of the house, killing 50-year-old Yasri and her 3-year-old granddaughter who were inside.

Speaking to the media, Mahfudz, the father of the toddler, said he confronted S immediately after the crash.

“He looked like he was drunk, he smelled like [alcohol]. I got up close to him face-to-face,” Mahfudz said.

The Central Java Police has apologized to the victims’ family and promised to punish S to the full extent of the law if he were to be found guilty. However, the police have yet to conclude whether or not S was drunk driving as that aspect of the incident is still under investigation.

“We will give financial compensation for the family and fix the damaged house. We will help with insurance. As for the driver, he’s still under investigation, so we will see,” Central Java Police spokesman Iskandar Sutisna said.

In Indonesia, vehicular manslaughter caused by negligent driving, which includes drunk driving, is punishable by up to six years in prison.

Also Read — Alleged drunk driver kills man and pet dog, assaults victim’s wife in viral video

Coconuts has journalists on the ground in eight cities working hard to publish true stories that matter. You can support our work by becoming a COCO+ Member or making a Patron payment.