Overturned truck blocks Poland-Slovakia border crossing at Chyżne on DK7

Collision at the border gantry

Around 5:50 a.m. on Thursday, a truck collided with an overhead electronic toll collection gantry on national road 7 (DK7) in Chyżne, located in Lesser Poland Voivodeship. The collision occurred on the final Polish road stretch leading directly to the state border with Slovakia. The force of the impact threw the heavy goods vehicle onto its side, blocking both travel lanes in both directions. One person was injured in the incident, prompting an immediate deployment of emergency services. Ten fire engines from the District Headquarters of the State Fire Service in Nowy Targ arrived alongside police units to secure the crash site and manage the response.

Driver error and fluid cleanup

Police officers investigating the accident determined that the driver was sober when the collision occurred. Investigators indicated that the vehicle had just exited a nearby parking lot, with the driver failing to notice that the semi-trailer was raised before joining the roadway. The extended trailer struck the overhead informational structure and e-TOLL gantry above the carriageway, destabilizing the vehicle and causing it to roll over onto the road surface. The crash caused a spill of coolant fluids from the truck's cooling system across the roadway.

Jarosław Stelmach, press officer for the District Police Headquarters in Nowy Targ, described the incident:

“The driver was sober and probably, while leaving a nearby parking lot, did not notice that his semi-trailer was raised. He struck the information board located above the road, which caused the vehicle to overturn. There was a leak of fluids from the cooling system, and their removal from the roadway is currently underway. Nothing serious happened to the man.”

Firefighters and road crews concentrated their efforts on neutralizing the leaked fluids and clearing debris while heavy recovery vehicles prepared to lift the damaged truck off the highway.

Traffic impact and alternative routes

The Chyżne-Trstena crossing represents one of the primary transport arteries connecting Poland and Slovakia for freight and passenger transit. The complete blockage halted all cross-border passage immediately after the crash. Police published photographs of the overturned vehicle and issued public advisories directing travelers to exercise prudence.

“We ask drivers to exercise extreme caution, follow the instructions of emergency services, and, if possible, choose alternative routes.”

By 8:00 a.m., law enforcement officers managed to clear one travel lane, allowing alternating single-lane traffic past the scene. The General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA) warned of extensive delays, estimating that disruptions on the DK7 border section would continue until roughly 11:00 a.m. while crews completed road restoration. Authorities advised drivers of passenger cars to bypass the blockage by diverting onto provincial road 962 (DW 962) through Lipnica Wielka and Winiarczykówka to reach Slovakia.