One dead after car collides head-on with van on national road 11 in Poland
A Volkswagen driver died at the scene on Sunday morning after veering into oncoming traffic and hitting a Renault van on national road 11 in Kąkolewice, causing a multi-hour road closure.
Morning collision on national road 11
A fatal head-on collision occurred on the morning of Sunday, 23 August 2026, along national road 11 in west-central Poland. Emergency services received the initial crash notification a few minutes before 07:00 from the village of Kąkolewice, situated within the municipality of Budzyń in Chodzież County. The accident involved two vehicles travelling in opposite directions: a Volkswagen passenger car and a Renault commercial delivery van. Units from the Greater Poland State Fire Service and officers from the Chodzież County Police arrived on the scene to secure the area and assess casualties. Fire service dispatchers confirmed the death of one person shortly after rescue crews reached the location.
In the village of Kąkolewice, a bus collided with a passenger car. As a result of the incident, one person died.
Initial findings and vehicle impact
Investigators from the Chodzież County Police established the initial sequence of events following an on-site inspection of the wreckage. The driver of the Volkswagen suddenly crossed over onto the left side of the roadway into oncoming traffic for reasons that remain unexplained. The car crashed head-on with momentum into the oncoming Renault van, which was heading along national road 11 from the direction of Chodzież. The male driver operating the Volkswagen suffered severe injuries from the violent impact and died at the scene. Responding officers and medical personnel verified that resuscitation was not possible given the extent of his trauma. The driver operating the Renault van sustained moderate injuries that police confirmed were not life-threatening.
As a result of injuries sustained, the man driving the passenger car died at the scene.
Road closures and regional detours
The crash prompted an immediate and total closure of national road 11 near Budzyń for several consecutive hours on Sunday. Because the roadway was fully obstructed by the wrecked vehicles and emergency apparatus, police officers established designated detours for all transit traffic moving between Poznań and Piła. Vehicles travelling northbound toward Piła were diverted off the national route through the town of Margonin. Meanwhile, motorists travelling from the direction of Poznań toward Chodzież and Piła were directed to take alternate routes through the village of Wyszyny. Uniformed officers were stationed along key junctions to guide drivers around the closed stretch of highway.
- Emergency services receive notification of a crash between a car and a van on DK11 in Kąkolewice.
- Police confirm the Volkswagen driver died on site and close national road 11 in both directions.
- Police establish detours via Margonin and Wyszyny while investigators inspect the scene.
Site investigation by local services
Police investigators and technical specialists from Chodzież remained at the scene throughout Sunday morning to carry out on-site procedural duties. The investigative team documented physical evidence, vehicle damage, and road conditions in order to determine why the Volkswagen moved into the opposite lane. Police representatives stated that a formal inquiry will examine the full circumstances and technical factors surrounding the fatal collision. Local services continued their work on the damaged infrastructure while recovery vehicles prepared to tow the van and car away. National road 11 remained closed until emergency services cleared all debris and reopened both lanes to regular traffic.
