Woman parks Opel under level crossing barriers in Legnica and runs for train
A 31-year-old woman left her silver Opel directly under the barriers of a level crossing on Ścinawska Street in Legnica and ran for a train, police said. The car was towed to a guarded car park, and she received a fine and five penalty points.
The incident
Police in Legnica received a report about a Opel left on the road within a railway level crossing on Ścinawska Street. When officers arrived, the car was locked and no driver was nearby, so they set about establishing who owned it. They identified the owner as a 31-year-old woman and summoned her to the police station.
Her explanation
The woman told officers that she did not notice the barriers and was hurrying to catch a train to get to work. Photographs published by Gazeta Wrocławska show the car stopped right beside the barriers, though not so close that it scratched the passenger-side door. Police reported that the car was towed to a guarded car park after it was found unattended.
Fine, penalty points and costs
The woman was fined and given five penalty points. The reports differ on the amount of the fine: Nowa Trybuna Opolska and Gazeta Wrocławska give 300 zł, while Radio Wrocław gives 500 zł. She must also pay the towing costs and the cost of parking the car in the guarded car park. Nowa Trybuna Opolska notes that these costs will make her total expenses higher than the fine alone.
Police warning
Police spokesperson Anna Tersa of the Legnica City Police Headquarters said:
The situation required immediate action, because the abandoned car posed a threat to road traffic.
Police warned that leaving a vehicle within the barriers of a level crossing can threaten traffic safety and make it harder to use the crossing. Police stressed that haste does not justify breaking the rules at a crossing, where particular caution matters.
