TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Bekasi Traffic Police Chief, Commissioner Argo Wiyono, said the teenager in a viral video who died after being run over by a truck in North Cikarang area was initially participating in a TikTok challenge dubbed ‘the grim reaper prank.’

The teen who stepped in front of a moving truck was a 13 year old boy who gathered with like minded friends on the side of the road. He and his friends had committed similar acts in the past.

“In TikTok, there is this challenge called ‘the grim reaper’ (malaikat maut). They initially intend to just walk in front of a moving vehicle and flee to safety as it nears them. But based on his friend’s testimony, he just wanted to go viral to be famous,” said the police commissioner on July 15.

Based on the testimony of the victim’s friends, the boy and his friends had already created seven similar social media contents before tragedy struck in their eighth try. The victim failed to avoid the truck on time and was eventually run over by the moving vehicle.

Six of the teenagers joined in the troubling group had been questioned for the acts and were ordered to make a written statement signed by their parents to give a deterrent effect.

The video of the brutal accident went viral on Monday. The recklessness of the eight teenagers participating in the TikTok challenge left one person dead and another in critical condition.

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M JULNIS FIRMANSYAH