Manado, North Sulawesi (ANTARA) – North Sulawesi Police are probing the fatal crash during a local drag race competition in Kotamobagu City, which killed eight spectators on Sunday (August 9).
“The legal process is ongoing. The law enforcement in the case will be done openly and accountably,” North Sulawesi Police Chief Inspector General Roycke Harry Langie stated in Kotamobagu on Monday.
For the investigation, conducted directly by the provincial-level police, officers have questioned several witnesses in their probe, including to determine any criminal negligence during the competition, which turned fatal.
“We have questioned five individuals, including the car driver, who are potentially named as suspects for negligence,” Langie said.
The police also questioned the organizer to determine whether all aspects of the drag race competition have been carried out according to safety standards.
The accident, which occurred during the authorized 2026 Tidar Drag Race Open Tournament Regional Championship on Sunday, resulted in 17 casualties, including eight fatalities.
Meanwhile, eight other victims suffered serious injuries and required medical treatment at hospitals, while another sustained minor injuries and was treated as an outpatient.
A video of the accident circulating on social media showed the car involved in the drag race crashing violently into a group of spectators watching from the side of the road before spinning around and coming to a stop facing the opposite direction.
The inspector general and other regional agency leaders from Kotamobagu visited the families of the deceased at their homes and injured victims receiving treatment at local hospitals.
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Translator: Karel Alexander Polakitan, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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