Mother and child die after being struck by train at Oleśnica railway crossing
A mother and her child died on Friday afternoon in Oleśnica after being struck by a passenger train while attempting to cross the tracks, while 120 passengers on board escaped unharmed.
Collision at the Wiejska street crossing
On Friday, 4 September 2026, at 14:50, a fatal collision occurred on the railway line near Wiejska street on the outskirts of Oleśnica in Lower Silesia. A mother and her child were struck by a passenger train operating on the route between Krotoszyn and Jelcz-Laskowice. According to preliminary findings from the Lower Silesian police, the child ran onto the tracks directly in front of the oncoming locomotive near the Lucień residential area. The mother rushed onto the crossing in an attempt to pull the child back, but both sustained fatal injuries and died instantly at the scene. Initial police estimates indicated that the child was approximately 9 to 10 years of age.
Emergency response and initial investigation
Emergency response teams, including municipal police units, fire brigades from the State Fire Service in Oleśnica, and medical personnel, arrived at the scene shortly after receiving the alert before 15:00. The train driver testified to investigators that the child appeared suddenly on the tracks, leaving insufficient time to prevent the impact. Police spokesperson Wojciech Jabłoński provided details regarding the dynamics of the collision.
The woman and the child were crossing an unguarded railway crossing on Wiejska street in Oleśnica. Probably at some point the child broke past the barriers straight under the wheels of the train. The mother, wanting to save it, rushed after it. Unfortunately, both died on the spot.
Senior aspirant Michał Wróblewski from the Oleśnica police noted that all available evidence pointed toward an accidental event. Officers tested the train driver for alcohol immediately following the collision, and the test confirmed that the driver was completely sober.
- A passenger train strikes a mother and child at the Wiejska street pedestrian crossing in Oleśnica.
- Emergency services secure the perimeter and confirm through testing that the train driver is sober.
- Single-track rail traffic resumes through the corridor with a speed limit of 20 km/h.
Passenger safety and evidence gathering
The train involved in the incident was carrying 120 passengers between Krotoszyn and Jelcz-Laskowice at the moment of impact. Police and fire officials confirmed that none of the 120 passengers or crew members suffered physical injuries. Under the supervision of the attending prosecutor, forensic teams cordoned off the railway corridor to block unauthorized public access. Investigators focused on securing physical tracks, collecting video surveillance recordings from nearby monitoring installations, and questioning witnesses. While local emergency services noted that the pedestrian crossing lacked electronic light signaling, the area was equipped with physical pedestrian barriers.
Rail traffic disruption and safety advisories
The incident disrupted passenger and freight rail services on the route between Oleśnica and Wrocław, a transit line carrying dozens of trains daily. Railway operators initially halted rail traffic across both tracks before establishing single-track transit through the Wiejska street corridor. Trains operating along the reopened track were restricted to a reduced speed limit of 20 km/h while forensic work continued on site. Fire brigade captain Marcin Purzyński addressed crossing protocols as emergency crews maintained the perimeter.
We appeal once again to cross railway tracks only at designated, safe places and never when the barriers are closed.
Investigative operations by regional police and the prosecutor's office remained underway into Friday evening to determine the precise legal and technical circumstances of the crossing incident.
