Warsaw residents are leaving candles and stuffed toys at the intersection where a six-year-old boy was fatally struck by a car on Monday.
Tributes at the Accident Site
At the corner of Zamieniecka and Grochowska streets on Warsaw’s Praga-Południe, candles and teddy bears are arriving. People brought them, moved by the accident in which a six-year-old boy died.
“This is terrible. An innocent boy lost his life,” said a man with a candle in a conversation with Wirtualna Polska. “I didn’t know this family, but I’m just sorry.”
Community Reacts to Tragedy
People who live or work nearby are coming to the accident site. A seller in the area informed WP journalists that on Tuesday morning, a delegation from the preschool the boy attended brought his framed black and white photo.
There were also reports that every day the six-year-old crossed the intersection on his way to preschool and later on his way home.
“Drivers on Grochowska Street drive very fast. Now a tragedy has happened,” said Mr. Grzegorz in a conversation with WP. “Cars are speeding, few people respect speed limits. After all, there was a similar tragedy on Bielany and only after that did they install speed bumps, here a speed camera would be useful.”
Fatal Collision Details
The fatal incident occurred on Monday, January 19, around 3 PM at the intersection of Zamieniecka and Grochowska streets in Warsaw.
Preliminary investigations established that the 28-year-old Ford driver, while making a left turn, failed to yield to a Toyota driving on Grochowska Street. The collision knocked the Toyota out of its lane, hitting a group of people waiting at a pedestrian crossing. Four people were injured, including the six-year-old boy who did not survive.
Officers reported that both drivers were sober.
Charges Filed Against Drivers
On Tuesday, the Warsaw Praga-Południe District Prosecutor’s Office announced charges against both drivers.
The charges include causing an accident that led to the death of a child and bodily injuries to three other persons for a period exceeding seven days.
“The prosecutor found that the conduct of both drivers was inconsistent with traffic rules and safety, and both contributed to this accident,” stated prosecutor Karolina Staros from the Warsaw-Praga Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
