Grzegorz G., 38, stood trial for causing an accident being intoxicated in which a married couple died and their 2.5-year-old son was injured. The trial of the accused started on Tuesday in the District Court in Stalowa Wola.
It concerns an accident which took place on 3 July 2021 at about 3 p.m. on provincial road No. 871 in Stalowa Wola. Grzegorz G. was driving an Audi S7 and, probably while overtaking, collided with an Audi A4 travelling from the opposite direction, in which three people were travelling: A 37-year-old woman and her 39-year-old husband and their child – a 2.5-year-old boy.
G. was drunk and under the influence of a drug that impairs psychomotor skills.
Despite resuscitation, the life of the couple driving an Audi A4 could not have been saved. However, their child and the driver of the Audi S7 were taken to hospital. The child suffered a broken leg. Grzegorz G. suffered abdominal injuries in the accident and underwent life-saving surgery.
The accident shocked the public and was widely reported in the media.
The trial will be held in public. At the beginning of the hearing, Judge Renata Sajda wanted the trial to proceed in camera due to the welfare of the injured minors (orphaned children of the couple who died). However, it was opposed by the auxiliary prosecutors (sister and brother-in-law of the victims) and their attorneys, requesting that the trial be held in public.
One of the auxiliary prosecutors explained that the children are constantly under the care of a psychologist, who does not see any objections to the openness of the trial. According to the psychologist, the content that had already appeared on the Internet about the accident would not be erased.
One of the attorneys, Celestyna Kusa-Gajur, also stressed that the social aspect is very important in this case.
Prosecutor Michał Lasota also spoke in favour of the openness of the trial.
The defendant, who was brought to the trial from custody, did not admit that he had committed the alleged offence. When asked by the court whether he was going to explain, he stated that “not today”. He gave the same answer when asked whether he would answer questions from the court.
As a result, the judge read out his explanations given during the investigation. At that time, he also pleaded not guilty to the charges and denied having drunk alcohol before driving. In the explanations read out, he said he was sorry to have been involved in the accident.
After his explanation was read out to the court, Grzegorz G. said he could not drink due to the condition of his pancreas. He said he did not remember much of the hearing because he was under the influence of medication. He had not been examined by a psychiatrist.
The court, after reading out the accused’s explanation, adjourned the trial until June 7. As Judge Sajda explained, only activities related to the defendant’s explanations were scheduled for the first day of the trial.
The District Prosecutor’s Office in Tarnobrzeg, which conducted the proceedings in this case, accused 38-year-old Grzegorz G. of driving a passenger car of the Audi S7 brand on provincial road No. 871 between Stalowa Wola and Tarnobrzeg without exercising particular caution, travelling at an unauthorised, dangerous speed, not adjusted to the prevailing road conditions, of at least 120 km per hour.
“Being in a state of intoxication with a blood alcohol content of at least 3 per mille and under the influence of the drug Baclofen, having an adverse effect on human psychomotor abilities in a concentration significantly exceeding therapeutic concentration,” we read in the indictment.
According to the prosecutor’s findings, on a bend in a prohibited place, Grzegorz G. started to overtake a vehicle ahead of him. As a result, he collided with a correctly driving the opposite direction car Audi A4. As a result of the collision, the driver of the Audi A4 and his wife died, while their 2.5-year-old son suffered a fractured tibia in his right leg.
During the investigation, the defendant also pleaded not guilty to the charges.
As the prosecution said, he gave short explanations which are not supported by the evidence gathered in the case.
The court may impose upon him a joint punishment of 14 years imprisonment for the alleged offences, as well as a life ban on driving any type of motor vehicle.