Poznań woman faces charges after tram stop crash during illegal race
A 29-year-old woman with a court driving ban drove an Audi into a tram stop on Grunwaldzka Street in Poznań, abandoned the car and fled, police said. Nobody was injured, and she was arrested about a dozen hours later in a city hostel.
The crash
Around 2:30 on Sunday, 11 October, a 29-year-old woman drove an Audi at high speed along Grunwaldzka Street in Poznań, police said. Approaching the intersection with Matejki, she did not adjust her speed to traffic conditions, lost control of the car, moved to the left edge of the carriageway and hit a tram stop. Police spokesman Łukasz Paterski of the Poznań city police described the sequence. Surveillance footage published by the police shows the car turning several times after the impact before stopping in the middle of the road. The woman left the vehicle there and moved away from the scene. Nobody was injured.
- Woman drives Audi into tram stop on Grunwaldzka Street, leaves the car and flees
- Woman arrested in a Poznań hostel
- Police say she has been charged with driving despite a court ban and taking part in an illegal race
- Police say the woman admitted taking part in the race
Arrest and charges
Police identified the driver quickly, and detectives from the Poznań-Grunwald police station arrested her a dozen-odd hours later in a Poznań hostel, according to Paterski. Police established that she was sober at the time of arrest, but a blood sample was taken for laboratory tests. Police said she was under a court ban on driving any motor vehicle, which they identified as the reason she fled. She has been charged with driving despite the ban and with taking part in an illegal race. The charges carry three months to five years in prison and forfeiture of the car or its equivalent value, while traffic offences committed during the drive carry fines of up to 30,000 zloty. Police did not apply any preventive measures against her.
The race
Police say the woman admitted taking part in the race, and the route is still being analysed. Based on camera footage, the race is believed to have started on Grunwaldzka Street at the junction with Grochowska. Police do not yet know what speeds the two cars reached. Officers also detained the driver of a BMW, who is alleged to have been part of the dangerous duel. According to Paterski, he was at a police station where investigators were questioning him.
The woman admitted to taking part in the race.
Next steps
Police said they will analyse the full driving route of the 29-year-old woman through Poznań to check for any further offences. Officers also said they would examine the conduct of other drivers present at the time of the incident.
