PiS candidate Przemysław Czarnek unhurt after collision with 19-year-old driver near Smulsko
The vehicle carrying Polish opposition candidate Przemysław Czarnek was struck by an Opel Corsa on national road 72 near Smulsko on Sunday afternoon. Czarnek, a passenger, was unhurt; the at-fault driver accepted a fine.
The collision
On Sunday, 14 June 2026, around 17:15, a Volkswagen carrying PiS vice-president and prime minister candidate Przemysław Czarnek was hit by an Opel Corsa at an intersection near Smulsko (Greater Poland voivodeship). A 19-year-old driver of the Opel failed to yield right of way from a subordinate road, causing the collision. Czarnek was a passenger, not the driver.
Yes, there was indeed a road collision involving the vehicle in which Prime Minister candidate Prof. Przemysław Czarnek was travelling (he was not the driver). The incident occurred because the driver of the other car forced the right of way.
Two people needed medical attention. A female passenger from the Opel Corsa was taken to hospital for checks. Medical crews also treated a passenger from the Volkswagen, later identified as Czarnek's assistant. Other occupants, including Czarnek, were uninjured. Police confirmed that all participants were sober.
Police and political reactions
Wielkopolska police spokesperson Andrzej Borowiak described the sequence: the Opel Corsa exited a subordinate road directly into the path of the Volkswagen. While the PiS press office stated the 19-year-old accepted a fine and admitted fault, police have not yet confirmed issuance of the ticket.
This driver admitted guilt and accepted the fine. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt.
PiS spokesperson Rafał Bochenek released the statement on X, stressing that Czarnek was not at the wheel. The party treated the collision as minor, with no lasting consequences.
Background
Czarnek was returning from a PiS convention in Kalisz, where he had presented three of 21 points of the party's electoral programme, dubbed "Plan Czarnek." The candidate lives in Lublin and was travelling home. The convention also featured PiS chairman Jarosław Kaczyński.
The collision drew immediate media attention, but officials on the scene categorized it as a collision rather than an accident, given the absence of serious injury. The Volkswagen sustained heavy damage, and emergency services remained at the site for several hours.
