Alphard Driver Claims Illness After Causing Multi-Vehicle Crash in Surabaya

A luxury SUV, a Toyota Alphard, caused a multi-vehicle accident in Surabaya, East Java, after allegedly running a red light and then fleeing the scene, leading to a chain reaction collision involving 11 motorcycles and four cars. The driver, identified as Yusuf (52) from Sidoarjo, has been apprehended and claims he was not feeling well and was drowsy after taking medication. The incident began on Wednesday afternoon when the Alphard, with license plate N 1882 NCI, first collided with another vehicle at a red light intersection on Jalan Arif Rahman Hakim. According to reports, the driver then allegedly fled the scene and continued to cause further collisions on Jalan Menur Pumpungan, hitting a food cart and numerous other vehicles. Eyewitness accounts and CCTV footage from local residents suggest the Alphard was traveling at a considerable speed after the initial collision, before it struck a bakso (meatball soup) cart and several other vehicles from behind on Jalan Menur Pumpungan. Yusuf reportedly told authorities that he was feeling unwell and had taken medication prior to the incident. "I wasn't feeling well, I had taken medicine. At the red light, I didn't realize I hit a Zenix. Then the Zenix car moved, and I intended to finish dealing with it. But at that point, the Zenix car was still hit," he was quoted as saying. He further claimed that during a traffic jam, he stopped with the intention of resting, but mistakenly pressed the accelerator when approached by residents. "So, there was a traffic jam. I stopped. I intended to maybe lie down. Then people banged on the car, and I mistakenly stepped on the gas. I didn't realize it," Yusuf explained. However, Sukolilo Police Chief AKP Yunus Kurniawan stated that the investigation is ongoing, with the Surabaya Metropolitan Police Traffic Unit (Satlantas Polrestabes Surabaya) handling the deeper probe into whether the driver intentionally fled after the first accident. "If that is still being investigated, because we from the Sukolilo Police are only handling the initial report. The authority for the in-depth investigation lies with the Satlantas Polrestabes Surabaya," Kurniawan said. Kurniawan confirmed that the driver's claim of drowsiness due to medication is being considered but will be further verified. The accident resulted in significant damage to 11 motorcycles and four cars, and five people sustained serious injuries. They have been referred to the nearby RSUD Haji hospital. The driver is currently being held at the Sukolilo Police Station for further investigation.