The incident occurred on Saturday, October 4, when a drunk BMW driver crashed into a policewoman in Szczecin, Poland, and fled, prompting a prosecutor to impose supervised release.
Dangerous intervention in Szczecin’s center
On Saturday, Oct 4, just before midnight, a duty officer of Szczecin police received a call about a BMW drifting at a city‑centre parking lot. A patrol from the vehicle‑intervention squad immediately responded.
Officers spotted the vehicle exiting the parking and began a chase. Despite sirens and flashing lights, the driver ignored signals and kept driving along Jan Paweł II Street. During the attempt to stop the car, a collision occurred: the BMW struck a police van.
The driver failed to comply with officers’ commands during the control. When a policeman opened the driver’s side to retrieve the keys, the driver suddenly accelerated. While backing up, he struck a policewoman, who fell, then collided with another vehicle before fleeing.
Officer dragged by fleeing vehicle
While fleeing, the officer who had been trying to stop the driver was dragged about fourteen metres by the car.
The driver continued until he struck a lamp post. Other patrol units quickly joined the chase, and a few streets later, the man was arrested.
His vehicle housed three young passengers who were unharmed. The 21‑year‑old had a blood alcohol content exceeding 2.5 per mille. Blood samples were taken to test for narcotics.
Prosecutor opts for supervision and bond
The policewoman sustained a leg injury and her fellow officer received bruises and scratches. Fortunately, neither required hospitalization.
The County Police Chief in Szczecin requested provisional detention of the 21‑year‑old, but the prosecutor, after reviewing the evidence, chose a different approach. The suspect was placed under police supervision, required to post a 20 000 zł bond, prohibited from leaving the country, and forbidden from contacting witnesses.
The prosecutor charged him with driving under the influence, forcing officers to abandon duty, and serves a maximum prison term of three years.
