An unmarked Warsaw police car driven by an officer without emergency signal permissions collided with a civilian vehicle at a red light on January 16th.
Officer Suspended After Collision
The police officer driving the unmarked Opel that collided with a civilian vehicle on January 16th at the intersection of Okopowa and Leszno streets on Warsaw’s Wola district has been suspended from service. The decision was made by the Commander of the Warsaw II Police Region on January 30th.
Accident Details
The collision occurred at approximately 4:20 PM on Friday, January 16th. The police vehicle was using light and sound signals and entered the intersection on a red light. Traffic police officers who arrived at the scene conducted sobriety tests, which showed 0.00 mg/l of alcohol in both drivers’ breath.
Detainees Being Transported
The police vehicle was transporting two women detained the previous day during a police operation on Ursynów targeting an organized criminal group. Three people in the back seat of the police vehicle were taken to the hospital as a result of the collision: the two detained women and one police officer. One of the detained women, an 18-year-old, had her hands handcuffed and allegedly did not have her seatbelt fastened.
Larger Police Operation Background
The incident is connected to a major police operation on Warsaw’s Ursynów district where a “call center” was allegedly a cover for activities including human trafficking and drug crimes. The operation was initiated after a 22-year-old Ukrainian citizen reported that he was interviewed for a job, quickly realized it involved illegal activities, was threatened and held against his will, managed to escape, and notified authorities.
Legal Actions Taken
As a result of the larger operation, 22 people aged 18-34 were detained. Two Ukrainian citizens aged 24 and 34 were charged with participating in an armed organized criminal group involved in manufacturing, smuggling, and dealing significant quantities of drugs, providing narcotics for payment, as well as human trafficking and exploiting people in particularly difficult life situations, including war refugees.
Police Response to Accident
The Capital City Police Command stated that the officer driving the police vehicle had a category B driver’s license but lacked authorization to drive a police vehicle using emergency signals. In connection with this, disciplinary and criminal proceedings were initiated, followed by the suspension decision on January 30th. The accident is also being investigated by the Warsaw-Wola District Prosecutor’s Office and the Internal Affairs Bureau of the Police.