Hungarian court extends detention of Polish driver after fatal M3 motorway crash

Court extends custody as driver refuses to testify

A Hungarian court has extended the pre-trial detention of Polish coach driver Robert M. until 18 December 2026 following a fatal crash in August. The decision was issued during a court hearing on 16 September 2026, which the driver attended in person. Because the ruling is non-final, the defence retains the right to file an interlocutory appeal against the prolonged custody. The driver had been remanded for an initial one-month period by the Miskolc District Court in August, a term set to expire on 18 September. Polish authorities at the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Krosno received official notification alongside interrogation records confirming that the driver exercised his legal right to remain silent. Robert M. is formally investigated on suspicion of unintentionally causing a land transport disaster resulting in mass fatalities, an offence carrying a statutory penalty of up to five years in prison.

Prosecutor Marta Kolendowska-Matejczuk confirmed the transfer of procedural documents from Hungarian investigators.

“Among these documents, an interrogation protocol of the Polish driver was delivered, which shows that the driver refused to provide explanations in the case.”

Reconstructing the M3 motorway disaster

The disaster occurred during the night of 15 to 16 August 2026 on the M3 motorway near Mezőkeresztes in northeastern Hungary. The coach was carrying 59 Polish citizens (57 passengers and two drivers) on a return journey from a pilgrimage in Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Findings from the Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén regional prosecution service established that the driver fell asleep behind the wheel as a consequence of severe fatigue. The vehicle drifted across the emergency lane, descended an adjacent slope, and overturned on its side alongside the roadway. The impact killed twelve passengers at the scene, while emergency rescue teams transported ten individuals in critical condition to regional hospitals. An additional 37 passengers sustained minor injuries during the rollover.

Fatalities12

Severe injuries10

Minor injuries37

Fatalities

12 people

Severe injuries

10 people

Minor injuries

37 people

Data from the article text

Repatriation and cross-border investigation

All twelve fatalities were adult residents of Poland's Podkarpackie region. Among the deceased were a married couple, 69-year-old Stanisław and 64-year-old Bogumiła, who had joined the pilgrimage to mark their wedding anniversary and were later buried together in the cemetery at Siedliska. The tour group had set off from the town of Strzyżów, drawing the majority of its participants from Podkarpacie and two travellers from the neighbouring Małopolska region. Following the disaster, the Polish government deployed a dedicated government aircraft to evacuate uninjured survivors and transport injured passengers back to Poland. Case documentation continues to flow from Hungarian investigators in Miskolc to the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Krosno. A sworn court translator is translating all Hungarian forensic files and witness protocols into Polish to assist the domestic inquiry before the extended detention deadline in December.