Two Drivers Detained After Fatal 120 km/h Street Race Crash in Nowy Sącz

Collision on Aleje Piłsudskiego

On Saturday, 3 October 2026, at approximately 17:30, a fatal traffic collision occurred on Aleje Józefa Piłsudskiego in Nowy Sącz. The victim, identified as a 50 or 51-year-old local resident depending on police records, was crossing a marked pedestrian crosswalk while walking his dog on a leash. The incident took place near a local junction known as the wild roundabout. A vehicle traveling in the right lane stopped to allow the pedestrian to cross. At that moment, a Volkswagen Passat traveling in the left lane overtook the stationary car at high speed and struck the pedestrian directly on the crosswalk. The impact threw the man across the road, and he died at the scene.

Emergency response and bystander aid

Multiple bystanders rushed to assist the victim immediately after the collision. A local resident walking nearby with his children performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation alongside a passing female medical doctor and her son who stopped their vehicle at the scene. Despite their emergency efforts, the victim could not be revived. Residents from the adjacent neighbourhood noted that the pedestrian crossing is heavily frequented by pedestrians and dog owners walking toward the nearby river. Police officers secured the area shortly after the crash and closed the roadway to gather evidence and recover traffic recordings.

This happened on a two-lane roadway. A car traveling correctly in the right lane stopped to let the pedestrian pass. At that moment, the driver of a Volkswagen Passat was overtaking it in the left lane at high speed and hit the 50-year-old.

Investigation into illegal street racing

In the hours following the crash, investigators determined that the Volkswagen driver had engaged in an illegal street race. Video surveillance and technical evaluations established that the Volkswagen Passat was moving at a speed of no less than 120 km/h at the moment it struck the pedestrian. The 21-year-old Volkswagen driver, a resident of the Sądecczyzna region, was taken into police custody at the scene. A breathalyzer examination confirmed he was sober, and medical staff collected blood samples to screen for psychoactive substances. Police subsequently identified the driver of the competing vehicle, a BMW, and arrested the 20-year-old resident on Sunday, 4 October 2026, at approximately 18:35.

Legal charges and statutory penalties

On Monday, 5 October 2026, both detained drivers were scheduled for interrogation at the District Prosecutor's Office in Nowy Sącz. District Prosecutor Bartosz Gorzula confirmed that the 21-year-old Volkswagen driver faces charges of causing a fatal accident while participating in an illegal race on a public road. Under Polish law, causing a fatal accident during an illegal street race carries a prison sentence ranging from 1 to 10 years. Forensic experts and prosecutors continue to analyze road surveillance recordings to establish the exact sequence of competition between both vehicles prior to the collision.

On a marked pedestrian crossing, a pedestrian was struck by the driver of a Volkswagen vehicle. As a result of this incident, the pedestrian, a 50-year-old resident of Nowy Sącz, died at the scene.