A Polish court is set to deliver its verdict on Wednesday in the case of Sebastian M., a driver whose high-performance BMW crashed into a family car on the A1 motorway near Piotrków Trybunalski, killing all three occupants. The sentencing is scheduled for midday, according to RMF24.
The collision occurred on 16 September 2023 on the southbound carriageway of the A1 near the village of Sierosław. Expert witnesses told the court that the defendant’s BMW was travelling at between 315 and 329 kilometres per hour when it struck a Kia driven by a married couple with their five-year-old son. The impact forced the Kia into the crash barriers, where it caught fire. All three family members died at the scene.
Experts reject defence claims over crash sequence
During the trial, presiding judge Renata Folkman heard testimony from accident witnesses, police officers and firefighters who attended the scene, passengers in the BMW, the owner of a firm that modified the defendant’s vehicle, and a former employee of Sebastian M.
A team of accident reconstruction experts presented detailed evidence showing that the Kia was travelling in the middle lane at approximately 140km/h with cruise control engaged. The specialists found categorically that the Kia driver did not change course before the collision, contradicting the defence’s claim that the car had suddenly pulled into the BMW’s path.
Two weeks ago, prosecutors asked the court to convict Sebastian M. and impose the maximum sentence permitted under the charges: eight years in prison. Prosecutor Aleksander Duda of the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Katowice told the court that no penalty could be proportionate to the scale of the tragedy.
“The state does not have a penalty in this case that fully corresponds to the gravity of this tragedy. There is no such punishment that will restore to the family of Patryk, Martyna and Oliwier the future that Sebastian M. destroyed in a matter of seconds,” he said.
Prosecution demands 15-year driving ban
Prosecutors have also asked that the defendant be barred from applying for early release until he has served three quarters of his sentence—six years—and that he be banned from driving any motor vehicle for 15 years. They are seeking 2.2 million złoty in compensation for the victims’ families.
In his closing statement, the prosecutor said the defendant had ignored road safety rules and refused to take responsibility for his actions. “When he entered the motorway, he took the left lane and put the accelerator to the floor, starting a Russian roulette with the lives of other road users,” he said.
The defence lawyer, Katarzyna Hebda, has called for an acquittal, disputing the experts’ reconstruction of the crash throughout the proceedings. Sebastian M. also maintains his innocence, though he offered an apology in court.
“There is not a day that I don’t think about the accident that should not have happened. This tragedy changed the fate and lives of many families. I exceeded the speed limit, which I should not have allowed. I apologise,” he said.
After the crash, Sebastian M. fled to the United Arab Emirates. He was extradited to Poland in May 2025 and has been held in custody since.
What this means for Poles in Poland
The case has drawn attention to extreme speeding on Polish motorways and the consequences of reckless driving. Under Polish law, causing a fatal road accident through gross negligence or dangerous driving carries a maximum sentence of eight years’ imprisonment. The court’s decision on Wednesday will determine whether the maximum penalty is applied.
Poles living abroad who drive in Poland should be aware that speed limits on motorways are 140km/h, and enforcement has intensified. Convictions for serious traffic offences can result in lengthy driving bans across the European Union. Those involved in fatal accidents may also face civil claims for compensation running into millions of złoty. The verdict is expected to be announced at noon on Wednesday at the court in Piotrków Trybunalski.