Tragedy on the Trans-Java Toll Road: Parents Accompanying Deceased Son Die in Batang Ambulance Crash
What should have been a solemn final journey transformed into a catastrophe early Wednesday morning. A married couple traveling inside an ambulance to bury their son in Jepara lost their lives when the vehicle slammed into the rear of a trailer truck on the Batang-Semarang Toll Road, according to reports by detikcom and iNews.id.
The multi-vehicle collision occurred on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, at approximately 00.45 WIB. The crash unfolded at Kilometer 379+900 on Lane A heading from Jakarta toward Semarang, within the Gringsing district of Batang Regency, Central Java. According to coverage from Kompas.com and Antara News Jateng, the disaster claimed three lives and left four vehicles tangled in the wreckage.
The Fateful Journey and the Sequence of Impact
The journey began in Cengkareng. The family used a Suzuki APV ambulance bearing the license plate D 1142 AFZ, driven by Suharto from Ciledug, Tangerang, to transport the body of their son, Vicky Tio Prasetyo, for burial in Jepara Regency. Riding in the back of the ambulance alongside the casket were Vicky’s parents, Mulyana (50) and Giyati (50), alongside an assistant driver and crew member, Tekat Suyanto (also identified in reports as Tekad Susanto).
According to field reports compiled by detikjateng and iNews.id, the ambulance driver lost concentration as the vehicle approached KM 379+900. The emergency vehicle struck the rear right side of a Hino iron-bed trailer truck, registered as BE 8501 PV and driven by Saptoto Haryanto from East Lampung. The initial impact sent the ambulance to the right, where it struck a Toyota Innova with license plate G 1480 BK traveling in the right lane.
The collision triggered a chain reaction. The force caused the trailer truck’s spare tire to break loose and hit the front end of a Toyota Avanza (B 2058 UOR) carrying extended family members who were trailing the ambulance to the funeral.
Immediate Aftermath and Identification of Victims
Emergency responders extracted the victims and transported them to RSI Muhammadiyah Weleri. Sutomo, a family member who arrived at the hospital to claim the bodies, spoke with local reporters about the tragedy. “We intended to take the body of the couple’s son, Vicky Tio Prasetyo, to Jepara for burial,” Sutomo told detikjateng. “Tragically, Vicky’s parents died in this horrific event instead.”
Records confirmed that Mulyana, a resident of Jurumundi in Benda, Tangerang, and Giyati, a resident of Cengkareng Timur in West Jakarta, died while seated in the back of the ambulance. Assistant driver Tekat Suyanto, a resident of Ciledug in Tangerang City, also perished in the wreckage. Meanwhile, the primary ambulance driver survived the crash with injuries.
Ongoing Investigation into Highway Safety
Polresta Batang launched an investigation to determine the causes of the pileup.
