Near Miss and Accident on Bekasi - Purwakarta

Ricardo Aritonang
14 February 2008

Shalom Aleyhem

Driving alone on Cikampek toll road has its ups and downs. Danger is always lurking when you are not driving carefully. I am writing about my high speed puncture and running over a motorcyclist during a couple of those trips not long ago.

High Speed Puncture

I work in Purwakarta and every Monday morning travels from my home in Kemang Pratama Bekasi to my office at Purwakarta. My wife has repeatedly told me not to use the left emergency lane to pass. But that morning I was going around 155 kph on that left lane and was traveling at Karawang Barat.
The time was around 0615 when I heard a loud thud from the back of my car. I struggled to control the car and was lucky enough to evade traffic and safely made a stop.
It took me about 15 minutes to change the tire and by the time I arrived at the office the time was 0715. In fact I was not late at all.
Deep down inside I whined about the broken tire, about its going to cost me dearly.
For my speed was so high, the tire was ripped and cannot be used anymore. That is two tires along with the one I ripped on high speed at Halim Perdanakusumah tool road heading into Jakarta on a Sunday morning in November.
Two days later I ask for permission to go to Raj Motor at Purwakarta to change my tire. The cost of a new tire for the car is Rp492.000 and I whined all along. Little that I know the Holy Spirit has saved me from a catastrophe that morning. If the Holy Spirit did nothing, it’s not hard to imagine the car swerving out of control and rolling around.
But no, I kept whining about the whole thing and worst thing came along after that puncture.

Accident

Two days after my puncture, I was driving back to Purwakarta on a Wednesday evening. I was speeding again and for sure no car overtook me on that toll road.
Thinking that on work days, by quitting time the Bekasi Barat exit toll booth shall be jammed packed, I took an early exit at Bekasi Timur.
Even after the tool booth, I was still overtaking other cars and was driving along Jl Chairil Anwar near the Kali Malang river. Seeing that the Cut Meutia intersection was packed with traffic I took an early left turn at the river bridge near DPRD house to get to Cut Meutia through Unisma canal road.
Alas, when taking the right turn after the bridge to the canal road, I forgot to turn my sign and ran over motorcyclist. I was so annoyed with myself and tried to run away.
The motorcyclist chased me and mobbed me in the middle of the canal road, not far away from where the accident took place. They blocked my car from running away.
They shout around saying lets kill this bastard for trying to kill one of our friend and then run away. Shouts to burn the car were also heard.
At least I was fast to apologize to the Javanese guy. He was hurt from the impact and when trying to evade my car his motorcycle became entangled under the car and was eventually run over.
He demanded Rp700.000 for damages to his motorcycle which was bent at the steer and for his foot injuries. I said that I did not have any money with me at that moment and invited for him to go with me to the nearest clinic.
He refused and demanded that I pay him the Rp700.000 instead. Then after some negotiation I left him my ID card and he tailed me to Kemang Pratama to finish our negotiation.
Seeing that ID are easy to come by for maybe Rp15.000, when we were traveling to Kemang Pratama I tried to loose the guy at Cut Meutia, Rawa Panjang. And when that failed took the Kemang Pratama 3 entrance where the security always ask for credentials and gave us security card.
Unfortunately the guy was a local ojek and therefore the stupid security guys did not even bat an eyelid when he tailed me into Kemang Pratama 3.
There and then, I phoned Dedek my wife telling her about the whole incident so that she would be ready to back me up upon arriving at the house.
Sure enough, she was at the front gate and opened the gate with suspicious eyes at the Javanese motorcyclist who followed me home all the way.
After a short negotiation Dedek gave the guy an extra Rp100.000 before he left us alone.
During dinnertime I did not say very much. Still wondering and whining about the Rp492.000 to buy a new tire and the Rp150.000 to take care of the broken motorcycle and its injured rider.
Dedek gave her thoughts and I remembered clearly that she said Rp492.000 and Rp150.00 are nothing compared to Abang’s safety.
We should say our Thanks to the Great Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ that Abang is still safe and the car has no damage whatsoever. Considering the danger in high speed puncture and running over a motorcycle we should have express our gratitude to God and rejoice because of the protection God gave use then.
I agree. Furthermore, I also forgot to put my Bible and Buku Ende inside the car for good luck. Dedek ask me about the relevancy of the Bible and Buku Ende for the car’s safety.

Last, I replied –wherever the word of God is written such as my favorite passage in John 1:1

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

‘then we are safe and the Holy Spirit shall accompany us wherever we go.

Barukh attah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam,
hagomel l’chayavim tovot, shegamalani kol tov.

Komandan Batalyon 9 Pasopati Artileri Medan Sadang Purwakarta

Letkol Art. Octiva Rajagukguk

”Berbuat yang Terbaik”


SUASANA ”angker” markas Yon Armed 9/Pasopati Sadang, Purwakarta, sangat bertolak belakang dengan sosok Letkol Art. Octiva Rajagukguk, S.H. sang komandan. Kalau bertemu, terasa kalau lulusan Akabri tahun ‘90 ini suka humor dan sangat gaul.

Namun, suami MS Aryanti Tambunan ini, mengaku akan berbeda bila menghadapi anak buahnya. Tegas dan tak kenal kompromi dalam memegang prinsip yang benar. Siapa pun akan dihadapi untuk membela kepentingan institusi. ”Keluar tidak ada anak buah yang salah. Saya akan bela di muka umum,” katanya. Sebaliknya di dalam, ia akan memberikan hukuman kepada prajurit yang salah.

Dalam bidang karier, setelah lulus SMA, Octiva melanjutkan pendidikan di Akabri Bagian Darat, tahun 1986 dan selesai pada tahun 1990, yang ditandai dengan pelantikan menjadi Letnan Dua, dengan mengambil kecabangan Artileri. Sejak itulah, dirinya mengawali kariernya sebagai prajurit profesional.

Meski terbilang muda, pengalaman profesional Octiva sangat panjang. Di dalam negeri ia sudah mengenyam Kursus Lanjutan Perwira (suslapa), Kursus Dan Yon, Instruktur Akmil, dan merenggut gelar sarjana hukum dari Universitas Soerjo, Ngawi. Selain itu dia juga berkali-kali dididik di luar negeri, di antaranya di negeri ”kanguru” Australia ketika mengikuti kursus Forward Obeserver. Sedangkan untuk pengabdian dan prestasinya, dia juga telah menerima Satyalencana Dwidya Sistha dan Satyalencana Kesetiaan VIII.

Prajurit profesional itu, katanya, mampu memadukan sikap yang semestinya di saat tempur, dalam satuan, teritorial atau di masyarakat. ”Kuncinya, berbuatlah yang terbaik,” katanya sambil menambahkan bahwa sikap ini mesti menjadi pegangan seorang perwira. (JU/11)***