19-year-old passenger dies after BMW strikes fallen tree branch on DK91 near Toruń
A 19-year-old woman died and two men were injured when their BMW struck a tree branch lying on national road 91 in Brzoza near Toruń in the early hours of Saturday. The driver was sober.
The accident
In the early hours of Saturday, 18 July 2026, a BMW with three occupants was travelling along national road 91 (DK91) between Toruń and Ciechocinek. At approximately the 200th kilometre of the route, near the village of Brzoza in Kujawsko-Pomorskie province, the car struck a large tree branch that was lying on the carriageway. The impact caused the driver to lose control, and the vehicle left the road. Police received the emergency call shortly after 3:30 a.m., while the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA) later reported the time of the incident as 4:05 a.m. The discrepancy has not been explained.
From the preliminary findings of the officers working at the scene, it appears that the 21-year-old man driving the BMW ran over a tree lying on the road.
Casualties
The 19-year-old female passenger suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The 21-year-old driver and a 19-year-old male passenger were both injured and transported to hospital. A breathalyser test administered to the driver returned a negative result, confirming he was sober at the time of the crash. The identities of the victims have not been released.
As a result of this accident, his 19-year-old passenger died at the scene.
Road closure and detour
The DK91 was completely closed in both directions at the crash site. Police, fire, and medical services worked at the scene under the supervision of a prosecutor. The road remained impassable for several hours, with traffic diverted via the A1 motorway. Drivers were advised to travel from the Ciechocinek junction to the Toruń Południe junction to bypass the closure. The GDDKiA duty officer in Bydgoszcz confirmed the blockage and the casualty count. Normal traffic flow was restored after 7 a.m. on Saturday.
The DK91 in Brzoza near Toruń is blocked, where a passenger car left the road after hitting a tree branch lying on the carriageway. One person died and two were injured.
Investigation
Police are investigating the exact circumstances that led to the tree branch being on the road. The driver was sober, and no other vehicles were involved. The prosecutor’s office is overseeing the case. Authorities have not yet determined how long the branch had been there or whether any prior warnings had been issued. The road was dry at the time, and weather conditions are not believed to have been a factor.
