85-Year-Old Porsche Driver Stopped After Driving 2km Wrong Way on Tricity Bypass

An 85-year-old man drove a Porsche the wrong way for approximately two kilometers on the Tri-City Bypass in the early hours of March 27, 2026, before being stopped by two off-duty police officers. The incident unfolded before 3:00 a.m. on the Gdynia section of the expressway, on the stretch heading toward Chwaszczyno. Other drivers attempted to warn the Porsche driver using both light and sound signals, but he continued moving against traffic regardless. The officers, from the Traffic Department of the Municipal Police Headquarters in Gdynia, were already off duty when they spotted the vehicle and intervened immediately. They brought the car to a stop at the exit toward Trasa Kaszubska at the Gdynia Wielki Kack interchange. A breathalyzer test confirmed the 85-year-old was entirely sober. The officers notified the duty officer, and a patrol was dispatched to take over further proceedings.

Off-duty officers credited with preventing a tragedy The two officers acted without hesitation despite being off the clock, a response that police officials described as exemplary. According to the statement issued by the Municipal Police Headquarters in Gdynia, the incident demonstrated that "a police officer is on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week." The quick and decisive intervention prevented what could have been a fatal head-on collision on a high-speed expressway in the middle of the night. Once the patrol arrived at the scene, the off-duty officers handed over responsibility for the case. The arriving patrol formally processed the driver and handled the administrative steps that followed. No collision or injury was reported as a result of the wrong-way driving. „The man drove in the wrong direction for about two kilometers, posing a real threat to other road users. Despite attempts by other drivers to warn him using light and sound signals, he continued driving. He was ultimately stopped by officers at the exit toward Trasa Kaszubska.” — Marek Kobiałko via radiogdansk.pl

License seized, court to decide the senior's fate Police confiscated the 85-year-old's driving license as a direct consequence of the danger he created on the road. The man faces charges of causing a hazard in road traffic, an offense that carries legal consequences to be determined by a court. Aspirant Marek Kobiałko, press officer for the Municipal Police Headquarters in Gdynia, confirmed all details of the incident. „Their alertness and responsible attitude made it possible to effectively stop the vehicle and prevent the driver, who posed a serious threat to the life and health of other road users, from continuing to drive.” — Marek Kobiałko via Dziennik Bałtycki Officers did not publicly state what caused the driver to enter the expressway in the wrong direction. The sobriety of the driver ruled out alcohol as a contributing factor, leaving the cause of the incident unexplained in official communications. The case now passes entirely to the judicial system for resolution. „The man was tested for alcohol content in his body. As it turned out, he was sober.” — Marek Kobiałko via Dziennik Bałtycki

Wrong-way driving on expressways remains a persistent road safety risk Wrong-way driving incidents on expressways and dual carriageways represent a recurring road safety problem across Poland and Europe, particularly during nighttime hours when visibility is reduced and traffic volumes are lower. Polish road law classifies causing a hazard in road traffic as a criminal offense, not merely an administrative infraction, meaning perpetrators can face prosecution before a criminal court. The Tri-City Bypass, as part of the S6 expressway network, carries significant traffic volumes connecting the Trójmiasto agglomeration with the rest of the country's expressway system. The Gdynia section of the Tri-City Bypass where the incident occurred is a high-speed, limited-access road where wrong-way driving creates an acute risk of fatal collisions. The fact that the driver covered 2 (kilometers) — distance driven against traffic on expressway before being stopped underscores how long the threat persisted. The nighttime timing, before 3:00 a.m., meant that while traffic was lighter than during peak hours, any vehicle traveling at expressway speeds in the correct direction would have had minimal time to react to an oncoming car. The outcome, with no injuries or collisions reported, was attributed entirely to the intervention of the two off-duty officers and the evasive actions of other drivers who used their lights and horns to signal the danger.