Teenage passenger dies after vehicle collides with train near Wieluń, raising death toll to two
A 16-year-old girl died in the hospital days after a car entered an unguarded railway crossing in Kopydłów and collided with an InterCity train travelling from Kraków to Poznań.
Collision at the Kopydłów crossing
The collision occurred on 27 September 2026 at approximately 14:20 on an unguarded railway crossing in Kopydłów, a village located in Wieluń County within the Łódź Voivodeship. A passenger car drove onto the tracks directly into the path of an oncoming passenger train. The rail service involved was the InterCity Kozica, operating along the route from Kraków to Poznań. The impact took place along the rail corridor connecting the Wieluń and Wieruszów Miasto stations. Emergency responders, including units from the State Fire Service and regional emergency medical teams, were dispatched to secure the location and assess the damage.
Between the Wieluń and Wieruszów Miasto stations, a train from Kraków to Poznań collided with a passenger car. The car entered an unguarded railway crossing in Kopydłów directly in front of the oncoming train, which was carrying about 230 passengers.
Casualties and initial emergency response
The force of the collision destroyed the passenger vehicle and resulted in the immediate death of the 21-year-old male driver at the scene. The 16-year-old female passenger sustained critical injuries and required urgent emergency care. A helicopter crew from the Polish Medical Air Rescue (Lotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe) evacuated the teenager from the site and flew her to a specialized hospital. Initial communications from local emergency services had mistakenly reported that the car was occupied by a 30-year-old driver and a 30-year-old passenger. Police subsequently clarified the official records, confirming that the driver was 21 years old and the passenger was 16.
Confirmation of second fatality
Doctors and hospital intensive care teams provided continuous medical treatment over multiple days to stabilize the teenager, but her injuries proved too severe to overcome. On 2 October 2026, authorities announced that the young passenger had died in hospital, raising the fatal casualty count of the incident to two. The District Prosecutor's Office in Sieradz formally communicated the outcome of the medical intervention to the public.
The 16-year-old passenger, despite specialist medical assistance, died.
Rail passengers and crew status
Approximately 230 passengers were travelling aboard the IC Kozica alongside the train operating crew at the moment the car crossed the tracks. None of the train passengers or rail staff sustained injuries in the crash. Police officers at the scene administered a breathalyser test to the female locomotive driver, which verified that she was completely sober. Railway personnel and emergency crews coordinated to ensure the safety of everyone aboard the stranded train.
- A passenger car enters an unguarded crossing in Kopydłów and collides with the IC Kozica train, killing the 21-year-old driver.
- The critically injured 16-year-old passenger is airlifted to a hospital by emergency helicopter.
- The District Prosecutor's Office in Sieradz confirms that the 16-year-old passenger has died in hospital.
Official investigation into crossing safety
Police officers and forensic technicians working under the direction of the District Prosecutor's Office in Sieradz conducted on-site procedural tasks and preserved all physical evidence. The ongoing investigation is focused on reconstructing the exact timeline of the crash and establishing why the vehicle entered the unprotected crossing in front of the train. Investigators are evaluating track conditions, visibility, and vehicle technical aspects as part of the formal inquiry.
