Actress Vanessa Angel and Husband Die in Car Crash

By Allison Schonter

Actress Vanessa Angel and her husband, Febri "Bibi" Andriansyah, have died following a single-vehicle car crash earlier in November. The incident, which occurred on the Jombang section of Nganjuk-Surabaya highway in East Java on Thursday, Nov. 4, left three others injured, including Angel and Andriansyah's 3-year-old son Gala, who was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital.

According to local authorities, and as reported by Jakarta Globe, the accident occurred at approximately 12:36 p.m. on Nov. 4 as Angel, her husband, son, a babysitter, and a driver were traveling on the Nganjuk-Surabaya highway in a Mitsubishi Pajero. At some point during the drive, the left side of the vehicle hit a concrete barrier, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle. The vehicle bounced off the barrier and spun before it came to a stop.

Authorities confirmed that both Angel, a soap opera star, and Andriansyah were pronounced dead at the scene. The couple's son Gala, his babysitter, and the driver were all transported to the hospital. Both Gala and the driver were said to have suffered only minor injuries. The babysitter, later identified as Siska Lorensa, reportedly suffered more serious injuries. Her condition is unclear at this time.

A preliminary investigation into the accident found that the weather conditions had been good and traffic had been quiet at the time of the crash. Although authorities initially speculated the driver, identified as Tubagus Joddy, became drowsy while driving, resulting in the crash, a video shared to his Instagram Story that same day raised concern. The video, which was later shared online by others, appeared to have been taken from behind the wheel as Joddy, who reportedly worked as Angel's assistant for the past two years, was driving. Joddy was ultimately charged with negligent driving under Indonesia's Traffic and Road Transport Law, Coconut Jakarta reported. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 6 years in prison and/or a maximum fine of IDR12 million (US$840). 

Addressing the charge in connection to the fatal crash, Angel's former attorney and friend, Milano Lubis, said, "I said from the beginning that I don't agree with the negligence [charge]. Because with him filming that video, that's an element of intent. We will oversee [the legal proceedings] because we want the driver to be prosecuted with the highest charges. We will find anything that can be included in the indictment."

Both Angel and Andriansyah were laid to rest at the South Jakarta's Malacca Islamic Cemetery a few days after the crash. Angel is best known for her starring roles in soap operas. She has also appeared in several movies.

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