A court in the town of Stargard has ordered the two men held in pre-trial detention for three months over the October 6 crash on the S10 expressway near Kobylanka, in Poland's West Pomerania region.
Prosecutors say the 43-year-old driver was traveling at about 270 kph when his BMW struck the rear of a Toyota traveling correctly in the right-hand lane.
The 70-year-old Toyota driver suffered multiple injuries and died. His female passenger was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
The BMW passenger, aged 45, recorded the journey immediately before the collision. Prosecutors say the recording shows the car's speed and captures the passenger urging the driver to go faster.
According to the District Prosecutor’s Office in the regional capital Szczecin, the two men are suspected of acting jointly in causing the crash.
Prosecutors say the driver grossly exceeded the speed limit, failed to exercise due care and failed to adjust his speed to road conditions while being encouraged by his passenger.
The driver lost control of the BMW and hit the Toyota from behind, investigators said. He then left the scene.
Police said he reported to the Stargard police station a short time later and was found to be sober when tested.
Both men were charged on October 8. The following day, the Stargard District Court granted prosecutors’ requests to hold them in custody for three months.
If convicted of the offenses alleged, they face sentences of up to 20 years.
The case comes days after another fatal crash that prosecutors say involved an illegal street race. On October 3, a 21-year-old Volkswagen Passat driver struck and killed a 50-year-old pedestrian at a marked pedestrian crossing on Józef Piłsudski Avenue in the southern city of Nowy Sącz.
Prosecutors say the Volkswagen was traveling at least 120 kph in a 60 kph zone and that its driver was taking part in an illegal race.
He has admitted hitting the pedestrian but denied participating in a race.
The man has been remanded in custody for three months. A 20-year-old BMW driver has also been charged with taking part in the alleged race and has denied the accusation.
The cases come as a court in Piotrków Trybunalski, central Poland, prepares to deliver its verdict in another closely watched high-speed crash case.
Sebastian M. is accused of causing a September 2023 collision on the A1 motorway in which a married couple and their five-year-old son were killed after their Kia was struck by a BMW and caught fire.
Experts told the court that the BMW was traveling between 315 and 329 kph before the collision, while the Kia was traveling at about 140 kph.
Prosecutors have asked for the maximum sentence available under the charge, eight years in prison, as well as a 15-year driving ban and PLN 2.2 million (EUR 500,000), in compensation for the victims’ relatives. The verdict is scheduled for October 21.
(rt/gs)
Source: interia.pl