AN Australian man involved in a fatal road accident in Bali paid almost $6000 in a peace agreement to the dead man’s family and has now been locked up in jail facing criminal charges.
The accident, when two motorbikes collided at 2am in the morning, occurred in July. The victim, a 22-year-old Balinese university student, died eight days later.
Police allege that the Australian man was in the wrong, failing to keep a proper lookout at an intersection.
The man, 33-year-old Joshua Ronald Terelinck, from Perth is now locked up in the police jail at Badung in Bali, facing charges of causing a traffic accident which claimed a life.
Badung police chief Tony Binsar Marpaung said the case would be handed over to prosecutors soon.
He said that because a life was lost it did not matter that a peace agreement had been paid to the dead man’s family.
He said the fact that Terelinck had voluntarily come back to the police would work in his favour for a light sentence. The charge carries a maximum six years in jail.
The accident, when Terelinck’s motorbike collided with that ridden by I Putu Agus Andryatna on 2am on July 9. The student was treated in hospital for eight days before dying.
Meanwhile Terelinck, who was also injured, went back to Australia for medical treatment before returning to Bali and fronting police who had summoned him through the Australian Consulate.
Police said that initially he paid 15 million Rupiah or $1530 to the victim’s family to cover medical expenses. After he died, he paid another 40 million Rupiah or $4079 to the family.
News Corporation has sourced photographs showing Terelinck with the victim’s family after the payment was made.
Police chief Marpaung said it was alleged that Terelinck was riding his motorbike faster than the 40 to 50km per hour he claimed as the victim was thrown 10 metres by the impact.
“The perpetrator has a good intention as he came by himself to the police office. He is showing responsibility for what he has done. So it could lighten his sentence,” Mr Marpaung said.
He said that under alternative dispute resolution guidelines, the payment could have been made and the two sides agree not to go to court but if death is involved the matter must go to court.
Mr Marpaung said police had summoned Terelinck to come for questioning about one month before he came. They had also sought to have Immigration ban him from leaving the country, but he had already gone.
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